***en Español***

Dear Northfield School District Staff and Families:

I hope this message finds you well. This update includes information about our new Northfield High School principal, 2021-22 parent satisfaction results, and a school board update.

Shane Baier named Northfield High School principal

I am pleased to announce that Mr. Shane Baier will be the next Northfield High School principal, beginning July 1, 2022. Mr. Baier will succeed Dr. Joel Leer, who has accepted a position as a professor of educational leadership at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Over 40 staff, students, parents, and community members were involved in the selection process.

An experienced principal, Mr. Baier served as principal at Mankato East High School, Spearfish (SD) Middle School, Mountain Home (ID) Junior High School, and most recently at Washington Elementary School in Mankato. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from South Dakota State University and an education specialist degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

A highly regarded school leader, Mr. Baier’s commitment to relationships, equity, academic excellence for every student, and experience in program development will help Northfield High School continue to grow as one of the best high schools in Minnesota.

The district is excited to welcome Mr. Baier to Northfield High School!

2021-22 Parent Satisfaction Survey Results

More than 900 parents and caregivers participated in our parent satisfaction survey. We take this information very seriously as part of our continuous improvement process. We value your input and will use it as part of our annual school improvement planning process. Each school principal and I have thoroughly reviewed the data and read every comment. You can see the results of this survey for each building linked below.

School Board Update — June 13 board meeting and work session

The regular board packet & table file are located on our website. The board approved the consent agenda, the EarlyVentures, Elementary, Parent Co-curricular, and Portage Elementary handbooks for the school year 2022-23, the revised 2021-22 community ed budget, all 2022-23 budgets, the 2023-24 school year calendar, co-curricular adds or reductions, and the resolution establishing dates for filing affidavits of candidacy for school board. You can view the video of the regular board meeting here and listen to my recap of the meeting on KYMN radio.

The board held a work session before the meeting to discuss the Northfield High School facilities task force report, presented by Wold Architects and Engineers.

Thank You

This past school year presented challenges for the school district and families. I appreciate our partnership in working through challenges. It has not always been easy, but we have persevered together. As always, please contact me with feedback about the school district.

Sincerely,

Matt


Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools