AGENDA 

1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Chair Gonzales-George. All members were present with the exception of Ms. Goerwitz and Ms. Nelson. 

2. Agenda Approval/Table File:  Motion passes to accept changes found in the table file.  chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/05.26.2026-Regular-Meeting-Table-File.pdf

3. Public Comment: None 

4. Announcements and Recognitions :Dr. Hillmann congratulated  the recent award/scholarship recipients and thanked the donors.  Tuesday June 9th at 4 PM  there is a ground breaking ceremony for the Reimagine High School Project in front of door #1 at the High School.   He announced and shared  the results from an annual  survey from parents/caregivers (537 individuals). A fourth consecutive year of growth was documented. He shared strengths (safety and learning)  and opportunities for growth (feedback from staff).  Two hundred seventy eight staff members were given a shout out from the participants. 

DYC (District Youth Council) senior members were present, recognized and congratulated. Bios were read by Ms. Gonzales-George. 

5. Items for Discussion and Reports 

• Educators at Sea Program- Mark Ensrud and Janet Smith presented information about their recent experience at sea through the Navy. Twelve teachers from the middle of the country participated.  Their presentation detailed their experiences of landing  on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and other experiences on the ship. The information gathered was brought back to students and parents. The two shared how the experience and impact their teaching/counseling in the future. Board member Mr. Miller, commented and asked questions. Dr. Hillmann also thanked John Olson, who was instrumental in making this opportunity happen. He also mentioned and thanked the two staff members who stepped forward in service to the district and community. 
• District Youth Council 2025-26 Recap: Two members of the DYC presented their work from the past school year.  They shared the mission, projects and events.  They used a concept called “Tabling” for later start days, and shared the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence project. Future planning ideas were shared as well.  Chair Conzales-George commented on how well run the committee is and she acknowledged them for their contributions.  Board member Epstein asked about the data gathering project.  A short video of thanks to Dr. Hillmann was played, featuring the student members of the DYC. 
• NHS Reimagine Project Update: Two individuals from Wold and Knutson shared an update on the project. A focus area was on the mechanical bids.  Data centers are impacting bids as well as tariffs and labor markets.  The total bids were 20% (19 million) over initial projections.  They are in the process of making  some re-allocations.  Over 150 ideas were presented, some were accepted and others were not. The team is committed to maintaining the project that the voters supported. Next steps were reviewed.  Valued engineering decisions were a major part of this plan. Board member Epstein asked about how unusual it was that the estimates came in significantly higher than predicted. Mr. Quinnell asked about the timeline for accepting bids and how the timing might  have changed things.  Mr. Miller commented on the difficulty of projecting costs up to 3 years out. A new bid opening will be on June 16th. Dr. Hillmann commented on the importance of the referendum commitment and the Wold/Knutson work towards keeping it on budget. The district will work towards finding solutions, ways to supplement the project, but will not go over budget. 
• Ice Arena Lease: See the board packet for documents for leasing the ice facility. Four different organizations are a part of the new arena. The city of Northfield, City of Dundas, The Northfield Hockey Association and the Northfield School District. Details can be found in the agreement. 
• Later School Start Times Update: Dr. Hillmann recapped a recent worksession/meeting for earlier start times for Middle School and High School students. They are concepts at this point and wouldn’t go into effect until the 2028-29 school year.  A survey was shared and feedback from the board followed. Mr. Miller made some suggestions for clarity. Mr. Butler also concurred and had some additional suggestions. Mr. Miller also asked about how the survey could reach the youngest students. Ms. Epstein suggested giving a range of ending times. Much discussion was held on this topic from all board members present. Ms. Goerwitz contributed 3 different suggestions in writing which Dr. Hillmann shared. 
• Policy Committee Recommendations: Dr. Hillmann reviewed the policies up for review and changes needed. He highlighted one specific policy that deals with a scenario where a board member violates a code of conduct and how the board should respond. He also made it clear that this board does not have this issue but the process would be preventative. Chair Gonzales-George had some hesitation with the fact that a procedure was embedded in a policy. This particular policy will be reviewed.  The policies and changes are found in the board packet. The policy committee will meet again in August. 

6. Consent Agenda -Consent grouping was passed unanimously. 

• Minutes 
• Gift Agreements 
• Overnight Field Trip Request 
• Personnel Items 

7. Items for Individual Action 

• Renewal of Contract Between Northfield Public Schools and Prairie Creek Community School- Executive Director Simon shared some notes of gratitude and thanks to the board and Dr. Hillmann.  The contract was approved for the next 5 years.  
• Bid for NHS Reimagine Project – George Sullivan from Knutson was present to answer questions regarding inspections and the cost of those inspections. Motion passed. 
• Resolution Proposing to Place Tenured Licensed Staff on Unrequested Leave of Absence- Motion passed. 
• Resolution Establishing Dates for Filing Affidavits of Candidacy- Chair Gonzales-George read the resolution for 3 vacancies. Motion passed. 

8. Items for Information 

• Graduation Dates 
  • ALC- June 4th at the Middle School Auditorium 
  • High School Graduation June 7th at 2:00 PM, Memorial Field 

9. Future Meetings 

• Thursday, June 4, 2026, 6:00 p.m., ALC Graduation, Northfield Middle School         Auditorium 
• Sunday, June 7,  2026, 2:00 p.m., High School Graduation, Memorial Field 
• Monday, June 8, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom
• Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 5:15 p.m., Special School Board Meeting, Approve bids for the NHS Reimagine project, Northfield DO Boardroom 
• Monday, July 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom 

10. Adjournment