Snow Pounds South Metro and Construction Season Comes Next: South Metro Rewind

Also in this week's wrap: A reprieve for Northfield students, and Sobriety High gets kicked off the state's financial bus.

Take a trip around Dakota County and the south metro with this week's rundown of top news.  For the original story, simply click on the link in the headline.  Watch Out Motorists: Major Interstate 35E Closures Start May 3 MnDOT will be closing portions of Interstate 35E and 35W in May to make repairs to the freeway interchange in Burnsville. Parkview Will Open on May 3 for 'Last Hurrah' Proceeds from the golf course, which is slated for redevelopment, will go toward several local charity causes. Eagan Actress Nominated for Second Tony Award Eagan High School graduate Laura Osnes earned her second Tony Award nomination for her role as Cinderella. Sobriety High to Close After School Year Concludes After 21 years of service to students …

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Study Gives Northfield Schools Low Grades for Achievement Gap

A study by the Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now graded all Northfield schools in the categories of student performance, subgroup performance, performance gains and achievement gap.

Northfield schools are doing relatively well in terms of student performance, but students of color are doing dramatically worse than white students, according to a new study. Northfield High School also received low marks for its graduation rates. While Minnesota's public schools excel in test scores, the achievement gaps between white kids and students of color, and between low-income and high-income students, are still significantly larger than national averages. Black and Latino eighth-graders lag 37 percentage points behind their white peers in math. Low-income eight-graders trail their richer classmates by 32 percentage points. In a March report, the Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now (MinnCAN)  sliced and diced public school …

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Northfield School Board Rewind

School Board Authorizes Refunding Bonds, Saves $2 Million

Here's a look back at Monday's Northfield School Board meeting.

Here's a look back at Monday's Northfield School Board meeting. Documents from the meeting are attached as PDFs. The board: Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free newsletter

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Sit-Down with the Superintendent

Superintendent: School Funding 'Difficult Issue for State'

In this week's video, Superintendent Chris Richardson talks about the funding challenges Northfield Public Schools has been facing and continues to face.

In this week's video, Superintendent Chris Richardson talks about the funding challenges Northfield Public Schools has been facing and continues to face. Richardson said the district is preparing to share concerns about school funding and the "situation that we face in Minnesota" with legislative candidates and Gov. Mark Dayton's office. "That situation is one where we are concerned with both the adequacy of funding that is provided for education and equity in terms of how that funding is paid for by local taxpayers," he said. In November 2011, voters approved to rescind the then-$1,270 per-pupil operating levy and approved a new 10-year levy, raising the per-pupil levy to $1,604. An operating levy is used to pay for day-to-day expenses of…

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Back to School: Supplies for St. Dominic School

Time to buy school supplies, but you can't find that list? Patch is here to help you out!

It's almost time to head back to school, which means it's time to stock up on the goods. Here's a look at the supplies list for St. Dominic School, which you can find on the PDF attached to this post. Be sure to find this page on your smart phone through our easy-to-use mobile site or with our iPhone App. Check out other supplies lists: Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter

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ROUNDUP: Northfield Students' Academic Accomplishments

If you have an announcement to share, you can do so by going to our announcements page.

Here's a roundup of recent academic achievements from Northfield area students. If you have an announcement to share, you can do so by going to our announcements page. Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter

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PHOTOS: Northfield ALC Graduates 23

With the passing of another school year, the Northfield Area Learning Center on Wednesday bid farewell to the 23 graduating seniors of the class of 2012.

With the passing of another school year, the Northfield Area Learning Center on Wednesday bid farewell to the 23 graduating seniors of the class of 2012. Miranda Fossum was the student speaker; Superintendent Chris Richardson, ALC Director Pat Parlin and guest speaker Pete Loizzo, an AmeriCorp Promise Fellow, also shared some words. Of the 23 graduates, 20 were at Wednesday's ceremony. Graduates were: * Did not attend the ceremony Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter

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Corey Butler Jr.

2:01 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012

Charlene, thanks for adding the photo and congratulations to Ethan!   more ›

Northfield Week in Review: Missing Teen, Carleton Building, Vikings Stadium

Patch recaps the happenings of the past week.

COMMUNITY • PHOTOS: Northfielders Dump Junk During Clean-Up Day • PHOTOS: Washing the Day Away • Last Chance: City Clean-Up Day is Saturday • Ask a Patch Pro: Lyme Disease • The Most Recent Northfield Deaths—May 9, 2012 • PHOTOS: Truck and Tractor Night at Northfield Community Resource Center • Parents Talk: What Are the Creepiest Kids Toys? • PHOTOS: Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride • PHOTOS: Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride—Gallery 3   POLICE • Woman Charged with Felony Drug Possession • Northfield Police Blotter: Warrants, Driving Complaint, Accidents • Man Accused of Murdering Shea Stremcha Pleads Guilty • Northfield Police Blotter: Multiple Fire Calls, Forgery, Burglary • Northfield Man Arrested for Fourth DWI in 10 Years, Blows 2.5 Times Legal…

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Corey Butler Jr.

8:26 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012

Jim, I know there are several Northfields throughout America and a few in Europe as well. I don't think the Vikings name has any history here in Minnesota (though our state's NFL team is the Vikings). I could be wrong, but I don't think it's from here.   more ›

Northfield Schools Want a Tablet in Each Student's Hands

The district wants to put a tablet—a cross between a smartphone and a laptop—in the hands of each of Northfield’s 3,900 students and most of its staff.

Let’s get digital. Or so say administrators at Northfield Public Schools. Superintendent Chris Richardson and Matt Hillmann, district director of human resources and technology, have been making the rounds to different community organizations in recent weeks pitching the idea of transforming Northfield’s educational system. In short, the district wants to put a tablet—a cross between a smartphone and a laptop—in the hands of each of Northfield’s 3,900 students and most of its staff. The tablet would replace most items in a traditional classroom—textbooks, notebooks, quizzes, DVDs, handouts and just about anything else paper-based. Extreme? It’s already happening elsewhere. Recently, the school board for Lakeville Public Schools approved …

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Winter Break Shortened Next Year for Northfield Schools

The Northfield School Board on Monday approved its 2012-13 calendar, which shortens winter break and ends the school year earlier.

And then there was one. The Northfield School Board on Monday was presented with four calendar options for the 2012-13 school year and in the end, the board approved an option that has students spending less time away from school during winter break and finishes the school year earlier, according to the Northfield News. According to district documents, winter break officially starts on Christmas Eve, which is a Monday. Students return to school Jan. 2, 2013, a Tuesday. The last day of school is June 4, 2013, a Tuesday. Students will still spend 174 days in school, but school administrators statewide had to get creative because of where holidays fall next school year. A second option considered Monday would have given students two full …

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