INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 659 REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Monday, September 28, 2026 ~ 6:00 p.m.
Regular Board Meeting Northfield District Office Boardroom
AGENDA
1. Call to Order: Board Chair Gonzales-George called the meeting to order at 6 PM All members were present with the exception of Ms. Nelson. Dr. Anderson attended virtually.
2. Agenda Approval/Table File: Dr. Anderson reviewed items in the table file which can be found at the following link, https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/Regular-Meeting-Table-File-09.28.2026.pdf Motion passed to add these items to the agenda 6-0.
3. Public Comment: There were no public comments this evening.
4. Announcements and Recognitions: Dr Anderson commended 3 students for placing in the top 50,000 out of 1.5 million students nationwide. He announced the names of the 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees and shared they will be recognized at half-time of the Homecoming game on Oct. 2nd and again at a banquet on the 3rd. Dr. Anderson announced he attended a commemoration at the Center for Civic Engagement this past week and he also reported from the Minnesota Association of School Administrators where he is attending sessions and will be presenting at the conference. His presentation is entitled “Clarity as a Strategy.
5. Items for Discussion and Reports
a. Spring Creek Elementary School Improvement Showcase: Mr. Rich Torres presented the plan including a review of the district vision, benchmarks and strategic commitments. He shared highlights which included, strengthening Tier 1 instruction (progress in math and early reading), STAR Celebrations where staff established recognition systems, ways of connecting students and staff through a shared SEL language and an increase in family engagement. Seventy five percent of Spring Creek families attended an All-Star Celebration.
Goals for the upcoming year were shared around One Language, One Community, Every Student where the use of Character Strong SEL curriculum will be implemented Another goal addresses how PLC time must change what students experience, from adoption to impact. Through the use of curriculum implementation such as the Bridges to Math and having a majority of the teachers trained in the Science of Reading, this goal will be addressed. Lastly a goal around growth, safety and belonging with a focus on making belonging visible was shared.
Questions from the board included Mr. Quinnell asked Principal Torres if there were any surprises in the job thus far. Ms. Epstein asked about how he works together with other principals and Ms. Goerwitz asked for more detail around the measurement tools used to assess student progress (i.e. Fast Bridge and MCA’s). Finally Dr. Miller asked Mr. Torres to give a brief history of his professional experience up to now.
b. Bridgewater Elementary School Improvement Showcase: Principal Ashley Benhart began the presentation by passing out celebration tools. She also reviewed the district vision, benchmarks and commitments as well as the 80-90-100 framework. Highlights included; an increase in reading and math goals, and increase in the number of employees who took the employee experience survey from 33- 56 exceeding the goal of 53. The third highlight focused on the 85 respondents on the family satisfaction survey, up from 51.
Goals for the upcoming year included sharing a visual of the elementary schools theme entitled “Ride the Wave” featuring a pontoon with a star, a gecko and a bear representing all 3 schools. Goal #1 addresses student proficiency on SEL outcomes through the use of a curriculum, Character Strong, the Educlimber platform. Goal 2 stated that 80% of students will meet grade level benchmarks in each academic area and the third goal addresses increasing staff responses surrounding receiving positive feedback on strengths.
Questions asked by board members were from Dr. Miller who asked Principal Benhart to share her professional experience, Ms. Goerwitz who asked for clarification around a chart presented and Mr. Quinnell inquired about what her experience in Faribault helped her current position here in Northfield.
6. Consent Agenda- motion to accept, seconded and passed 6-0.
a. Minutes
b. Gift Agreements
c. Financial Reports
d. Personnel Items
7. Items for Individual Action
a. Proposed 2026 Payable 2027 Preliminary Property Tax Levy Val Mertersdorf presented on the complex numbers and procedures around the Preliminary Property Tax Levy. These numbers are based on enrollment estimates over a 3 year period. It is very important and appreciated as this property tax levee provides funding for 26% of the general fund. For detailed slides and explanations please follow this link https://www.youtube.com/live/0vjOwZ0y2e4. Questions followed from Dr. Miller, Ms Goerwitz, Ms Epstein and Mr. Butler.
b. Policy Committee Recommendations were listed and approved 6-0.
8. Items for Information
a. Minnesota Kids Rise – Amy Goerwitz presented information about this organization. She sits on the committee. This agency’s focus is to get positive information out to the public and provide a tool kit for districts to promote their own successes and find additional support and information. Board chair, Gonzales- George asked how we can share stories from the Northfield schools with this group.
b. Construction Update No. 32 – Ms. Mertersdorf encouraged the community to check the website for updates.here. https://northfieldschools.org/reimagine/ Most of the project is on target at this time. She thanked the community for their patience with the traffic flow. Ms. Goerwitz asked about disruption to the students. Ms Mertersdorf has not heard any recurring complaints.
c. Retired Educators Luncheon- Friday Oct. 30th at Ruth’s on Stamford at 11:30.
9. Future Meetings
a. Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom *Note that Monday, October 12, 2026 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day
b. Monday, October 26, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom
c. Monday, November 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield DO Boardroom
10. Adjournment
