Northfield Public Schools, School Board Meeting
August 12, 2024
- Call to Order – School Board Chair Claudia Gonzalez George called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
- Agenda Approval/Table File – Agenda & table file approved as presented (see
https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/UPDATED-2024.08.12-Board-Packet.pdf ) - Appointment of Board Member – To fill the temporary vacant seat normally held by Noel Stratmoen until he can return or expiration of his term, whichever is earliest. As instructed by the Board, Ms. Gonzalez George contacted 5 former board members, and 4 of those indicated they have limited capacity or interest at this time. Dr. Rob Hardy indicated interest and capacity; he served as an elected board member 2012-2020. Comments: None. Motion passed; Ms. Gonzalez George administered the oath of office to Dr. Hardy.
- Public Comment – none
- Announcements and Recognitions –
a. 39 incoming 7th grade students had a successful trip to the Eagle Bluff environmental learning center.
b. Ms. Gonzelez George, Superintendent Matthew Hillmann and Amy Goerwitz attended the MSBA conference, and brought back a report and some practical suggestions. - Items for Discussion and Reports
a. Northfield Area Learning Center (ALC) Improvement Showcase – Director Daryl Keller gave progress report. Progress made on all goals (engagement, equity, connectedness with adult, attendance).
Questions: Corey Butler – Why is there an attendance dip in the 4th month grading period every year? Mr. Keller: Winter break occurs in the middle of the 4th month. Ms. Goerwitz: How popular was ethnic studies? Mr. Keller: Very popular. Ms. Goerwitz: Why do only 5% of parents return surveys? Mr. Keller: We try to meet parents where they are & use communication they will respond to, but haven’t been able to get parents to respond. Ms. Goerwitz: What did students disagree with on survey? Mr. Keller: Lowest survey response area is student-to-student connections, so we are working to help students form stronger connections with each other. Ms. Goerwitz: How is online school going this year? Mr. Keller: Well attended in high school level, not much enrollment at elementary level. Jenny Nelson: Do 8th graders ever go directly from Middle School to the ALC? Mr. Keller: We want them to try out the high school first before going to ALC. Ms. Nelson: How do excused & unexcused absences work? Mr. Keller: Criteria are the same as for the district. If a parent calls it is excused. Some things don’t count as an absence, for example doctor’s appointment or court date. Ms. Nelson: What does ALC use for mental health support? Mr. Keller: As many sources as possible. We partner with CAC and other agencies. Ms. Nelson: Have staff all been through training? Mr. Keller: Yes, the “mental health first aid” program. Ben Miller: Describe grading periods & how credits are earned. Mr. Keller: We use 8 grading periods, with 8 periods in a day. Very small class sizes (15 or fewer). At end of
22 days, the earned grade goes into the student transcript. Dr. Hillmann: Please highlight mental health supports, and the criteria for ALC enrollment. Mr. Keller: ALC has 1 full time counselor. Partnership with CAC includes social worker, peer recovery specialist (chemical health, mental health & eating disorders). There are 12 criteria for admission to ALC statewide, students must meet at least 1. 90% of students are behind in credits to graduate. Other admission criteria include mental health issues (about 50%), truancy or dropping out, expulsion from high school, behind on standardized tests, homelessness, English language learner, physical or sexual abuse. Ms. Gonzalez George: How many students are enrolled at ALC? DK: Last year over 100.
b. Northfield High School Improvement Showcase – Shane Baier, NHS principal and 2 assistant principals. 9th & 10th graders are 85-87% on track for graduation, 11th graders less, 12th on track. To reach goals, we plan to continue implementing teacher training strategies, and creating a positive learning environment (trust & inspire instead of command & control). We look at whole child, not just academics. 93% of student body has no referrals for discipline. 6% have 5 or fewer referrals; only 1% (12 students) have more referrals. Parent satisfaction numbers are derived from surveys. Student engagement is very high, and many AP tests taken & passed. High level of
college/career readiness. Attendance goals: currently 73% of high school students attend daily. Chronic absence (10% or more absences) is still a barrier to success. To address this, we prioritize students who need extra support, by connecting with families, checking in with student.
Questions: Corey Butler: How are AP classes chosen? Mr. Baier: Budget cuts affected offerings last year, but they are primarily enrollment based. Ms. Goerwitz: How does AP enrollment translate into AP exams? Mr. Baier: High test scores from AP students. Offering these courses also improves the curriculum for non-AP students. Ms. Goerwitz: Why are readiness scores so much lower for 11th graders (76%)? Mr. Baier: We don’t know. We’re currently looking for ways to support them. Ms. Goerwitz: How often are students suspended? Mr. Baier: Not many total students are suspended. We look for other ways to support them before suspension (repairing harm, skill development, etc.) Ms. Goerwitz specifically asked for numbers; Mr. Baier didn’t give
numbers. He said they will try to do almost anything before suspending a student. Re-entry after suspension is also very important; they need to make a plan with students before they start attending again. Most weeks there are no suspensions. Mr. Miller: What is your experience around cell phones? Mr. Baier: Our current policy is not effective, so we are exploring other alternatives with students & the school board association. People want guidance & restriction, but not cell phone removal. We need a common sense approach – no cell phones during instruction time. Phones might be OK during flex time, passing time, or out of school time. They are still deciding now. Ms. Nelson: Are there different policies for attendance for different student populations? Mr. Baier: No. All families get notified when a student has an unexcused
absence. If there are over 6 unexcused absences we begin closer work with families, over 9 we use an appeal process, then a formal intervention. Occasionally we must work with truancy system in the courts (student review board). Ms. Nelson: Are there any processes for improving student/student engagement as there are with student/staff engagement? Mr. Baier: Primarily building safe classroom spaces, peer relationship building cohorts. Ms. Nelson: What are supports for career pathways other than college preparedness? Mr. Baier: The state has set up technology & other training programs. We know there is demand for trade & technical school.
Ms. Nelson: What is the current cell phone policy? Mr. Baier: The device must go in backpack or bag. We use progressive enforcement (reminder/designated place/contact parent). We use the “stop light” analogy, which eliminates gray areas. Jeff Quinnell: Appreciates idea of “Lead” for all students, trying out different things. Ms. Goerwitz: Did free lunch & breakfast make any difference this year? Mr. Baier: We still need to do research on this. The policy gives students agency; they can bring lunch or have it for free. Many parents are very appreciative. Students often come hungry, and we have long breakfast lines.
c. Discussion of Commissioner’s Review and Comment on Proposed Referendum – Received a positive review and comment on the project from MDE, which is required before a referendum. This document will also be published in newspaper.
Comments: Ms. Goerwitz appreciated the breakdown in project costs. Mr. Miller: What is “contingency”? Dr. Hillmann: “Contingency” is for renovation or other unexpected expenses.
e. Student Citizenship Handbook – Updates for 2024-25 school year. This will be an action item for the next board meeting. Dr. Hillmann: The handbook is much longer than it used to be (20 pp. instead of 60). There are very few actual changes to behavior and consequences. Length is due to an expanded definition of “discretion”, because reviewers (students, staff, administrators) felt it sent the message that there really were no consequence, and believed it was important to define consequences more clearly. The handbook also needed to include the statement that MN law does not allow suspension of students grades K-3. And needed to address new issues (such as deepfake AI photographs, and dissemination of graphic photos of other students) even though this hasn’t occurred in the Northfield district. Links are created within document, since most are distributed online (not hard copies).
Questions: Mr. Miller: There are errors on pp. 47 and 82. Dr. Hillmann: These will be corrected before publication. Rob Hardy: What are “restorative practices”? Does it become public? Mr. Baier: Sometimes suspension, sometimes rebuilding relationship, always in conjunction with all parties. If there is victim, always check with them first, they are never forced into a conversation with perpetrator. Most conflicts can be solved through conversations with all parties. Last year 42 students had suspensions (3%), almost always for illegal activities – chemical use, fighting etc. Ms. Goerwitz: Do handbook and policies match? Dr. Hillmann: Handbook is derived from policy, so all items in handbook match. Ms. Goerwitz would like to include the district’s Vision
statement in Handbook, along with sesquicentennial, maybe on cover. Appreciates policy links. On p. 8 she would like to add “in conjunction with teachers” (getting makeup work for missed classes, especially for younger students). She found list of growing consequences for behavior confusing, sometimes looked like they don’t follow in sequence. Dr. Hillmann: We are trying to bring clarity to areas where there were asterisks before. Ms. Goerwitz suggested clarifying format. Ms. Nelson expressed concern with the section on bullying. The definition is required by the state, with 3 areas of concern. She would like to see each area discussed separately. Dr. Hillmann: We must use the state definition and format. Repeated behavior is what is dealt with
in this section. It can be different than “bullying-like behavior”. Ms. Nelson doesn’t see any consequences for “interfering with a student’s access to education learning”. Dr. Hillmann said this is addressed elsewhere in the handbook. Address individual behaviors, including harassment. Ms. Nelson: Do we have a policy for disruptive behavior? Dr. Hillmann: Yes, disruptive, disrespectful behavior is in the policy. Teachers need to be able to address those before sending students to the administrator. Teachers are the ones who hold students accountable, who must exercise judgment. This handbook addresses what happens after a student is sent to administrators. Mr. Miller has concerns with hierarchy within handbook. Dr. Hillmann: We need guidelines across district for unacceptable behavior that can be communicated with families. Situations are handled case by case. Ms. Goerwitz: In the sexual harassment and sexual misconduct policies, what is the line between harassment and misconduct? What is the difference between distributing and sharing (i.e. deepfake photos)? Dr. Hillmann: Misconduct is direct & active, p 41. Harassment is more words/behavior rather than
direct action. Sharing should be broadest definition of the term. Online definitions are evolving rapidly; we want to protect children and that requires open definitions. Ms. Goerwitz requested adding the word “showing” to “sharing.” Mr. Miller wants to address how content is created and consequences to behavior. Is it different for AI generated images? Is that appropriate? Dr. Hillmann: We need to look at language, it should not be a different consequence for different origins of photos. The language should be very clear so any reader can understand the consequences.
e. Fall 2024 Bond Referendum – Dr. Hillmann: There have been several presentations & tours since last meeting, including townships, tabling & special events, crazy daze tabling. Tours average 12-14 people. Upcoming: FiftyNorth, Chamber of Commerce, several tours. 61 events so far since March, hope for 80-100 events before election. Early voting this year will start in September, so voter education is starting earlier. He encouraged board members to attend events so they can hear community responses.
Questions – none - Consent Agenda – Ms. Goerwitz commented on policy 503, about application to school board for extended absences. Can the committee consider this policy in more detail? Dr. Hillmann: These recommended changes align with new law, can accelerate review by committee. The language is from the statute. Mr. Quinnell wants to pull the superintendent contract issue from consent agenda.
Approved with 2 nays, without superintendent contract.
a. Minutes
b. Gift Agreements
c. Fiscal Year Organization Action
d. Overnight Field Trips
e. Policy Revisions
f. Financial Report
g. Personnel Items - Superintendent contract, motion made to accept the contract. Mr. Quinnell wants to table this issue until the new school board is elected, since it is a 3-year contract. He wants new board to vote on it.
Comments: Mr. Miller: When does the current contract expire? Director of Finance Valori Mertesdorf: June 30, 2025; new contract 7/1/25-6/30/28. Mr. Miller supports the contract as written, very happy with Dr. Hillmann’s leadership. He feels that this board is elected & qualified to approve the contract at this time. Ms. Goerwitz feels that the superintendent has been exemplary and doesn’t want to give him reason to look anywhere else. Ms. Gonzalez George: This Board gave an exemplary review; she wants to approve the contract now. Mr. Quinnell feels that a 3-year contract should be voted on by the new board. Mr. Butler: Dr. Hillmann is not asking for this contract; we are offering a contract. This is embarrassing and inappropriate. It is not out of order to
have this item on the consent agenda. The discussion of this process is inappropriate tonight. Mr. Quinnell: It is all about having the new board vote on contract, not about the individual. Motion was approved on roll call vote, all aye except M. Quinnell, nay. - Items for Individual Action –
a. Resolution Relating to the Election of School Board Members and Calling the School Board Election to comply with election process. Motion approved unanimously by roll call vote.
b. Policy 441, Use of Technology and Telecommunications Systems by Employees – Dr. Hillmann: We have previously allowed staff to install software on their computers, but there is now too much risk. One exception will be for employees in graduate level courses, using university-issued software. Questions: Ms. Goerwitz: What happens to personal software already installed? Dr. Hillmann: It will not be removed immediately; tech staff will help individual staff to remove it We have already communicated with staff about this. Motion was approved unanimously
c. Ratification of Employment Action – Mr. Hardy said he would abstain because hasn’t received enough information. Approved unanimously with one abstention - Items for Information
a. Filing for School Board, candidates must file July 30-August 13 in office of school district clerk, with $2 filing fee.
b. Staff Breakfast and Program 8/26/ 7 a.m. Middle School
c. 2024-25 e-Learning Plan – similar to last year’s plan. Bridge during winter weather. Will have “rehearsal” e-learning day on the day before Thanksgiving. - Future Meetings
a. Monday, August 26, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom
b. Monday, September 9, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom
c. Monday, September 23, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom - Adjournment at 8:47 p.m.
By Connie Martin, Observer, League of Women Voters
