- Call to Order – By School Board Chair Claudia Gonzalez George at 6:00 p.m. Jenny Nelson absent, all other board members present.
- Agenda Approval – Agenda and Table File approved. (See https://northfieldschools.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024.04.22-Board-Packet.pdf )
- Public Comment – A parent of a high school student had concerns with bullying at the school, and lack of supervision in the classroom and the nurse’s office. Parent took appropriate action but no action by school administrative staff.
The student who was bullied expressed anger at school staff for allowing it. They do not attend the high school any more.
- Announcements and Recognitions –
a. ECFE Newborn Baby Talk Program received an Innovative Programming award from the Minnesota Association for Family Education.
b. May 3 is School Lunch Hero Day – Celebrating school nutrition staff
c. Play for Patrick heart screening held last week. 209 people screened last Saturday, and several tests showed previously undetected heart problems.
d. Money Magazine named Northfield one of 50 best places to live in the country.
- Items for Discussion and Reports
a. Proposed 2024-25 Child Nutrition Fund Budget – Director of Child Nutrition Stephany Stromme. Trying to reduce food waste, working in partnership with the food shelf. They had hoped to provide meals for day care, but this was not part of state funding. Post Corporation has provided some funding for daycare meals. About 50% of students participate in school breakfast; every month shows higher use than the previous year. About 20% more lunches are also served than last year. They also provide free snacks at Middle School, Community School, and elementary schools. They are diversifying school lunch menus with World Language week: Sambusas, chicken tikka masala, other international menu items. Farm to School program is also in place. Overall, there is a significant increase in student meals, increasing budget. They have received a grant to fund convection ovens (overall cost savings). There is a small fund balance, which will be spent down next year.
Questions – Amy Goerwitz: Since the state mandated free lunches, has the culture changed for families? Ms. Stromme: At the elementary level more students take school lunch and fewer bring meals from home. Students enjoy “special days” (pizza days etc). There is a significant drop in students who pay into a la carte accounts, resulting in less negative funds. Noel Stratmoen: What is the delay for receiving reimbursement for food service? Valori Mertesdorf, Director of Finance: The district gets paid the following month for the prior month. Jeff Quinnell: Do you see any new trends post-COVID? Ms. Stromme: There is more focus on fresh food, Farm to School, appreciated by parents. Menus also are diversifying since COVID. Corey Butler: Can community support Angel Funds to pay off deficits? Ms. Stromme: Yes, they can do that through
the district website. Ms. Gonzalez George: Is milk included with the meal? Ms. Stromme: 1 is included with each meal, any additional are charged al la carte (based on reimbursement from state). Dr. Hillmann: Despite some staffing shortages this year, staff is creating positive meal experiences for children.
b. Revised 2023-24 and Proposed 2024-25 Community Education Fund Budgets – Erin Bailey, Director of Community Education. 942 programs are offered through Community Ed, and school facilities are used for over 239,000 hours by non-school organizations. Community Ed employs about 600 staff. There is a significant increase in adult basic education this year, with 14 different languages & 21 countries represented. Participation in youth programs is also higher than it was pre-pandemic. The new food shelf on north side of city is getting used, with long lines forming on pickup days. ECFE enrollment is also up. All summer camps filled on the first
day, and there is a long waiting list for infant care. The Early Ventures program needs more staff, and is subject to rigorous staffing requirements by the state. The legislature is considering more funding for early childhood staffing. Budget increases are primarily for wages & benefits. Ms. Stromme discussed higher expenses of childcare for families, and balancing family needs with budget. Many programs are offered as part of Out of School. Returning for the first time since COVID are dental clinics at Greenvale, and swimming lessons in partnership with the YMCA.
Community School participation is also high.
Questions: Ben Miller: What are the barriers to expanding Early Ventures? Ms. Bailey: Lowering of the special needs levy would impact cost, and help to break even in budget. To increase Early Ventures the remodel of the building would need to be completed, and more staff would need to be hired. Ms. Goerwitz: Have there been staffing issues in Northfield? Ms. Bailey: We have not had staffing issues, due to the receipt of the Great Start grant, which provides benefits to
staff. We still need more staffing in Kid Ventures program (before school). Mr. Stratmoen: What is the return on investment for education? Dr. Hillmann: about $17 to every $1 spent. Mr. Butler: What is the state of child care in Northfield? Ms. Bailey: Ours is the second largest child care center in town. Six centers closed last year. We have a long waiting list for next year. People turn away jobs because they can’t find child care in Northfield. Mr. Butler: What about funding? And our collaboration with HCI for a grantwriter? Ms. Mertesdorf: This is a strong collaboration so far. We have received about $360,000 in grants, proposals for several million more are out there, and they are prospecting for many other grants. Ms. Bailey: We partnered with the Faribault district to apply for grants supporting tuition mentorship. She described the
grant application process, and support of HCI staff. Mr. Miller: Is there a tuition increase? Ms. Bailey: Yes, about 3%. We balance the amount to make it affordable for families. Dr. Hillmann: All students who attended Early Ventures were ready for kindergarten. Our investment in this program is now paying off, but there are more people who need services than we can support. How can we support parents with child care? Mr. Miller: Can we expand the program? Dr. Hillmann: This program is supported by the Department of Human Services (DHS), not the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), so the requirements and priorities for facilities and staffing are different. Ms. Bailey: The expansion plan would be to first add an infant room, then
add each year for age progression. However, we need additional remodel within the current building. Ms. Gonzalez George: How do different counties differ in reimbursement rates? Ms. Bailey: Dakota County covers all costs, Rice County does not; so there is a higher barrier for those residents. Ms. Gonzalez George: Is it possible to open a second infant room? Ms. Bailey: We would need to remodel the room. Also, the required staffing ratio is higher for infants than older children (1/4, 1/7, 1/10), so it is more expensive to staff infant care.
c. Ice Arena Letter of Support to the Northfield City Council – Dr. Hillmann and Board President Gonzalez George. The district would be part of a public/private partnership including the district, the Cities of Dundas and Northfield, and the Northfield Hockey Association. This letter affirms the district’s commitment to this partnership. District will lose about 100-200 students if there is not ice in the community. The property for an arena was donated by a private individual to the Hockey Association; the city of Northfield would be the primary public entity. The school district would continue to lease ice time, and would commit to a period of about 20 years. The board
will be asked to approve the letter at the next board meeting. Questions: none
d. Fall 2024 Bond Referendum – Dr. Hillmann will bring specific ballot language to the next meeting, and the board will vote at the following meeting. He will also bring “review and comment” by the architectural firm, which must be submitted in a couple of months. (See https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/Regular-Meeting-Table-File-04.22.2024.pdf )
Questions: none
- Committee Reports – Committee chairs had no additional comments (see
https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2024.04.22-Board-Packet.pdf )
Corey Butler on Community Education Advisory Committee
Amy Goerwitz on Northfield Branding Advisory and Communications Advisory Committees
Jenny Nelson on Wellness Committee
- Consent Agenda – approved unanimously (see https://northfieldschools.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024.04.22-Board-Packet.pdf )
a. Minutes
b. Gift Agreements
c. Financial Report – January 2024
d. Personnel Items
8, Items for Individual Action –
a. Resolution for Termination and Non-Renewal of Probationary Licensed Staff. Passed
unanimously by roll call vote.
- Items for Information
a. National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10, 2024.
b. Graduation Update: ALC Graduation 6:00 p.m., Friday, May 31, Middle School Auditorium.
Northfield High School Graduation 2:00 p.m., Sunday, June 9, Memorial Field
- Future Meetings
a. Monday May 13, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom
b. Tuesday May 28, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom c. Monday June 10, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom (Monday May 27 is Memorial Day)
- Adjournment at 7:38 p.m.
By Connie Martin, Observer, League of Women Voters
