Dear Northfield Public Schools Families:

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, support, and feedback during our priority-based budget reduction process. We have aimed for openness and transparency, emphasizing stewardship and fiscal responsibility while advancing our vision to prepare every student for lifelong success.

At its regular meeting on Monday, April 28, 2025, the Northfield School Board approved $5.79 million in budget reductions.

» You can review the finalized list of budget reductions here.

The recommended budget reductions that were not approved as originally presented or adjusted by the board were:

• The board voted to retain Northfield Middle School's 7-period day. It included eliminating Grade 7 health and shifting that FTE to support maintaining electives at NMS.

• The board approved an alternative to the original recommendation for health services. The district will retain an RN/LPN at each school. The district’s licensed school nurse will also oversee a building health office.

• The board increased the parking fee at Northfield High School from $100 to $250 per year.

While I am disappointed that we had to make these reductions, I am proud of how our school community has responded to this challenging situation. The district involved hundreds of people in the process. Over 80 individuals participated in the five budget teams that developed the initial recommendations. One hundred seventy-seven attendees took part in our community meeting for public input on April 3. The board received 87 email messages from community members. Nearly all of this engagement was constructive. People expressed their understanding of the need for action and advocated for their views both strongly and respectfully. Additionally, several community members have joined our district's legislative action committee to help advocate for school issues in St. Paul.

We will also come together to grieve. It is completely normal to feel disappointed, sad, or even angry about the staff reductions. We are losing dedicated professionals who have worked hard every day to do good things for kids. Additionally, we are losing some of the flexibility we once had to adapt to changing situations.

It's okay to feel this way for a while. However, we must then move forward together, embracing the future with optimism. We still have excellent staff members who are committed to working hard for our students, families, and the community.

We have also learned a lot from the feedback we have received. We will address the topics raised during this process to enhance our services for families and the community.

As always, please get in touch with me with any questions or feedback about the district.

Sincerely,

Matt

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Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.

Superintendent

mhillmann@northfieldschools.org | 507-663-0629