Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A.

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if none leave blank)

A. Ways in which I've contributed to the Northfield community:

• Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) board member

• Northfield Hockey Association coach and equipment manager

• Defeat of Jesse James Days committee member

• Community Action Center's Operation Joy gift box assembler

• Cannon Valley Elder Collegium panelist on journalism

• Northfield.org vice chair

• Associations North member

• Co-hosted on KYMN the show, "This Northfield Life," which was a guest-driven program focused on Northfielders about who they are, their history with the city, and how they contribute to the community. Ultimately, this was a show about people and how they help make Northfield the place we call home.

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board? If you running for reelection why do you want to stay in office?

A. Public schools have mattered to me my entire life.

As a child, I found comfort and shelter in my schools. It was a place I looked forward to daily for learning, for friendship and for a sense of belonging. Public schools, from my early years through graduation, shaped me into the adult that I became.

As a journalism graduate, my first job was as the education reporter for the Faribault Daily News, covering the various public and private schools in that community. I later covered schools in Northfield, Kenyon and Wanamingo as a reporter and editor at the Northfield News and Northfield Patch.

My father was a school custodian for most of my life and my mother has been a school bus driver for more than 30 years.

Public schools have always been part of my life.

Now, as a father of two elementary-age children (Every Gecko, Every Day!), I want to ensure they, and all children in Northfield, are empowered to become the best students they can and, ultimately, the best people they can when they leave our education system. When I took a new job nearly eight years ago (leaving journalism), my wife and I considered moving closer to my work. We decided that Northfield is where our family belonged, and Northfield Public Schools was a huge factor in that decision.

I'm a firm believer that people should serve their communities however they choose to define those communities, and the Northfield School Board is an area in which I would be humbled and honored to contribute.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. I spent years reporting about schools boards and their decisions. I covered school districts in lean and prosperous years and understand the importance with which each decision holds, from teacher contracts to shifting curriculum and programming. In that role, I didn't just spend time writing about school board meetings, but rather I developed relationships with teachers and staff, highlighting the good work of students and teachers in the classrooms. These stories ranged from second-grade projects about the Mayflower to a video series about Rock and Roll Revival at the high school. I was able to connect with people involved with the district on all levels, and I can do that in the role of a school board member, too.

I can combine my experience and understanding of the budget/administrative side of the district and my compassion for those in the classroom and school buildings with my role as a parent of two children. Students and families, ultimately, are on the receiving end of nearly all school board decisions; I think the experience and opinion of parents on the school board, particularly of younger students, has been sorely lacking as the board makes decisions for the near-, mid- and long-term future of the district.

Additionally, both in my time as a journalist and the past seven years in a communications role for the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, I've had my finger on the pulse of the Minnesota Legislature. Through my work experience, I would be a strong advocate for Northfield Public Schools at the state level as it continues to contend with under funding from the state.

I've also found several ways to contribute to the well-being of children in our school district, including time served on the board of the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (and being part of the Investing in Youth Grants committee), as a coach and equipment manager for the Northfield Hockey Association and as an annual volunteer with the Community Action Center's Operation Joy program.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. I want to help foster a fair, equitable education for all of Northfield’s students. The district has done well in working to close the opportunity gap through many programs, like Northfield TORCH, Growing Up Healthy and the Greenvale Park Community School (from which my family has greatly benefited), but there is work yet to do.

I also want to make sure teachers and staff have the resources needed to do their jobs well, especially in such uncertain times. Educators are our most valuable assets -- more than administration and buildings -- and we need to make sure we’re recruiting, retaining and growing the best group of teachers we can.

I think a strong school system is built on more funding, not less. Minnesota schools have been hampered by budget shortfalls for nearly three decades that haven’t kept pace with inflation, let alone the pressures of updating our learning models to the 21st century, particularly with federally mandated special education (a necessary, but expensive venture not fully reimbursed; the federal government pays for less than 10%). The Northfield district is incredibly fortunate to have the overwhelming support of its community, passing both an operating levy and a bond referendum in recent years. As someone who has spent my entire professional career with an eye on the Minnesota Legislature and with various levels of involvement at the Capitol during that time, I can be a strong advocate for Northfield Public Schools when communicating with our legislative representatives.

Lastly, I was on the board of the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative when it launched Northfield Promise, an effort to see every Northfield child find a career following the completion of their studies. I think it’s imperative we offer a support system that helps every student become a contributing member of society, whether that’s through a four-year degree (or beyond), a two-year degree, a specialized certificate or in the trades. I think it’s imperative, more now than ever, that we empower students to grow into adults with critical-thinking skills and the tools to forge the life that best suits them -- not someone else's vision for them.

There are challenges that are and will continue to be difficult to overcome. Homelife can be challenging for students (I can empathize, as a child of divorced parents). There are, of course, so many variables in every student’s life. I would love to see more collaborations with programs like BestPrep (a Minnesota nonprofit) for high school students to teach them about personal finance, including understanding their first paycheck, income taxes, compound interest and credit cards. As education morphed in the past 20-plus years, some of those basic life skills taught in school have gone away and aren’t necessarily being integrated into the home.

Northfield schools are far better off than a lot of our counterparts, but we cannot (and haven’t) rest on our laurels.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

Follow the last information and news at my campaign Facebook page.

Learn More About Corey:

Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A.

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of.

A. Literacy Tutor with public library in OK, PTA Board Member in OK, Educators Association (OK), co-organizer of Northfield Women's March, co-organizer BLM protests (Stand Up Nfld)

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board?

A. I am a person of service and enjoy being a part of building something larger than myself. I love the idea that I could bridge the communication gap between the board and our Spanish speaking families. I have a heart for public education having taught in some form most of my life and the last six years I was a public school 2nd grade teacher. I'm inspired by our district's excellence and want to be a part of it.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. Qualified board members are individuals who have strengths and values which put students' needs first, team work as essential, and uplift the democratic process. I see myself as exemplifying those traits. Additionally, my love for public education stems from finding personal opportunity for life advancement through a public education. My parents did not finish an elementary education in Mexico, yet public schools saw me graduate from high school and earn a BA from a state university. Also, I was a 2nd grade teacher outside of our community and an Educational Assistant at the middle school for a few months. During my time as an educator, I participated in a state-wide walk out advocating for more funding for classrooms. I'm ready to advocate for teachers and students at the capital. I'm a great team member. My personal strengths play very well in groups as I'm a collaborator and consensus builder. As an organizer in local social justice events in town, I have had to work with other very passionate activists. I've had to make my voice heard, but also be a good listener and problem solver.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. I hope I can strengthen the good relationship the school has with families. I would love to have more Spanish speaking parents participate in leadership roles around the district. Additionally, I hope I can be a part of a strong anti-racist vision and plan for our district.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. I have been married for 27 years and a mother of 3: our son graduated from Northfield High in May and our youngest daughter is in 10th grade at the high school. Our oldest daughter is a college junior out of state. I work at the Community Action Center where I am happy to connect to so many of our neighbors. I'm here to stay and hope I can serve on the board.

Learn More About Claudia:

Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A. Northfield School Board as Chair, Clerk, Vice Chair, and Treasurer

Northfield City Committees as Planning Committee, and Design Advisory Board,

Bethel Lutheran Church as President, served on Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Building Committee, and Stewardship Committee

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if none leave blank)

A. Northfield Arts Guild, Cannon Valley Watershed Partnership

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board? If you running for reelection why do you want to stay in office?

A. I believe that education is the best way to a better life. I want to help the youth of our community to achieve a better life.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. Trained as an educator, three years on the Engineering staff at South Dakota State University, twenty-seven years in industry (Scheldahl, Buckbee-Mears, Control Data/Seagate) with seventeen of those years as a manager of several departments, currently co-owner of a local property management business .

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. Successful budget management and to encourage more opportunities for technical and trades education,

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. Lois and I have lived in Northfield since 1965, raised two boys that received an excellent elementary and high school education allowing them to do very well at Iowa State University. Lois and I own a property management business with Lois Stratmoen as President.

I believe that the Northfield School District voters support education and as a Board member, I'm obligated to understand public education and understand the educational goals of the voters and residents of the District. I am also obligated to guide (via policy) and support the district's leadership, the teaching and support staff, and all personnel who are involved in Northfield District providing a successful educational experience for all students.

Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A. President- local Educational Assistants union for 12 years.

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if none leave blank)

A. Northfield ski club advisor from 1995-2019 . I am a member/owner supporting our local coop.

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board? If you running for reelection why do you want to stay in office?

A. My passion for children and the Educators who work with them.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. My 28 years in the Northfield school district allowed me the opportunity to work with many staff and administrators.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. I would like to encourage the connectivity with students and staff to continue and create more interaction between the administrators and teachers when making educational decisions.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. I have lived in Northfield with my husband for over 30 years. We raised 4 children who graduated from Northfield High School. We have 8 grand children, three who live here and attend Northfield schools. I still feel very connected to the schools

And would like to continue to be part of the educational process in the Northfield School District.

Q. What leadership offices have you held?

A. Northfield School Board (Member 2017-2020, Vice Chair in 2020)

Northfield Library Board (Member 2014-2016, Chair in 2016 during renovation)

Northfield Human Rights Commission Member (2011-2013)

Early Childhood Education Board Member (2002-2005)

Community Services Budget Committee Member (2004-2005)

Northfield Community Services Board Ex-Officio Member (2017-2019)

Cannon Valley Special Education Cooperative Ex-Officio Member (2020)

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of.

A. Minnesota School Boards Association (2017-2020)

Northfield Rotary Club (2020 "Keeper of the Calendar")

Q. You are running for reelection why do you want to stay in office?

A. After four years on the School Board, training sessions and professional conferences, visits with state senators and legislators, and literally hundreds of meetings and thousands of pages of documents, I have learned a lot about education and its complexities. I feel as though I am now even better positioned than when I first ran to serve our community and the district's mission of delivering educational excellence to all learners.

Initially I ran for the School Board to give back to the Northfield community. When my children were in school, I was a regular parent volunteer. Joining the School Board was a natural progression of my experience and interests.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. Besides being a current board member, I have lived in Northfield since 2002. My two children both graduated from Northfield High School. My professional career has been in higher education, and I am a lifelong volunteer, always looking to serve our community.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. There are several important issues coming before the board.

1) Keeping our staff and students safe during the COVID-19 pandemic—COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of education and the School Board will be dealing with its impact for years.

2) Financial shortfalls—Even before COVID-19, we were anticipating budget tightening in Fiscal Year 2022. The pandemic will further complicate budgeting. Now that I have been on the board, I am well positioned to help set priorities.

3) Reducing the achievement gap—Our lower income students and students of color generally perform worse on achievement tests than their peers. We need to strengthen our connections to these children and their families to ensure our schools are working for all our learners.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. We are blessed this year to have eight candidates vying for four School Board positions. With so many interesting candidates, choosing who to vote for may be difficult. As a female candidate, I believe that it is important to have both men and women on the board so I encourage all voters to consider gender balance when casting their four votes.

Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A. 1. Past Board Member of HCI for 8 years- Served as vice chair in 2006

2. Family Services Committee member, Habitat for Humanity Rice County

3. Board member for Supply Our Children, Rice County.

4. Past Northfield Tennis Association Board Member and served as Chair for two years.

5. Rice County Treatment Court Team.

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if none leave blank)

A. Bethel Lutheran Church,

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board?

A. Northfield Schools has a strong tradition of excellence. I believe I will bring the leadership necessary to move our schools forward, fully into the twenty-first century.

The mental health needs of our children will only increase. It will be important that the needs of all children are addressed with the utmost care.

The next few years may bring economic turmoil which will affect our schools and our budget. Leadership will be of paramount importance during this period. It will be critical that we have a board that will listen to all sides when making decisions regarding budgets.

Covid -19 will still be a large part of our lives when I become a board member. Creative solutions will be needed to make sure we are meeting the needs of our students during the winter semester of 2021.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. As a school board member, I will be someone who listens first. I will work hard at bringing consensus when decisions need to be made for teachers, adminsitration and students I will make sure I understand each board member and the strengths each of them bring to the board and help utilize those unique talents. I will work diligently to create an atmosphere of trust and team work to the board. When hard questions need to be asked, I will ask those tough questions.

My two children both went through the Northfield Schools and am grateful they had the opportunity to do so. The teachers and staff helped prepare them for a life beyond Northfield in so many ways. I believe I can be a guiding force for the teachers, staff and students to help them prepare students for their own future.

As a psychologist in Rice County, I understand the complexities for many families and the dilemma's they often face when raising their children. I think I will bring a unique perspective to the board and help the board recognize those challeges faced by many families in our community.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. More students are using our alternative high school as a way to accomplish their educational goals. I hope to bring as many resources as necessary to those students as possible. My ambition is to listen to administration, teachers and students to their needs and to help find creative ways to put those into action.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. I am excited by the opportunity to serve our community and schools in this capacity. I promise to be diligent to continue the the tradition and excellence of the Northfield School District.

Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A. Past Chair of the Community Education Advisory Council, early childhood representative on committee to support passage of 2018 bond referendum, former manager of Kootenai River Campground and Kiowa Resort (small family owned and operated businesses in Montana).

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if none leave blank)

A. Northfield Schools Community Education Advisory Council, Northfield Schools Communications Committee, Healthy Community Initiative’s Ready for Kindergarten team, as well as numerous public history and genealogical professional organizations.

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board?

A. I am seeking election to the Northfield School Board because I believe this community’s children deserve the finest educational opportunities possible. An exemplary school district, which I believe Northfield currently has, is one of the founding pillars of a great community. This is not to say that there are not problems with our schools that still need to be addressed and I am an advocate for continuing improvement of our schools. By challenging our known assumptions about what is working well and not, along with an awareness of the constantly changing nature of education, we can make our schools even better at serving the diverse needs of all of our children.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. I am currently a stay at home father of two wonderful little ones: a four-year-old at Northfield School’s Hand-in-Hand Preschool, and a one-year-old involved in the District’s Early Childhood programing. With them in mind, I have served as an advocate for the District’s youngest students. In 2018, I helped champion Northfield’s early childhood-focused bond referendum to its successful passage and have served on Northfield Schools Community Education Advisory Board and its Communications Committee.

I am a passionate believer in the power of public education. Having grown up and gone to school K-12 on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana—one of the nation’s most poverty-stricken communities—I saw firsthand how influential a successful school environment and committed teachers can be in changing children’s lives. An exceptional public education provides the opportunities for all children to gain the skills they need to be successful in whatever route they may choose to pursue in life.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. There are a number of challenges facing our schools that I hope to help guide the District through over the next four years. First is the importance of making sure our schools are providing a superior education to all of our students whatever their backgrounds may be. Black, white, immigrant, wealthy, homeless, English language learner; a public education needs to serve everyone. Whatever our children’s circumstances may be, we need be offering a full range of educational experiences that help everyone thrive as students developing into successful adults. An inclusive experience that offers spaces to celebrate and learn about each other’s different backgrounds benefits all.

I also hope to assist Northfield Schools as it works to remain a careful steward of its resources over the coming years. We must maintain excellent but financially stable schools, in spite of insufficient funding from the state and federal governments. For years, unfunded mandates have greatly increased costs for schooling without adequate monetary support. We also must remain careful caretakers of the District’s buildings and grounds. As a community we are privileged to have a number of newly renovated facilities, along with a beautiful new Greenvale Park Elementary. I promise to serve as both a careful steward of our current resources and as an advocate for proper state and federal support in the future.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. I love the Northfield Schools and have the highest regard for the teachers, support staff, administrators and school board members who have brought the District to where it is now. In these strange and quickly changing times, I have seen the schools rise to meet challenges with an unwavering commitment to supporting this community’s children no matter what the world may be throwing at us. I am proud to raise and send my children to school here.

Learn More About Robert:

Q. What leadership offices have you held? (If none, leave blank)

A. Chair of the Music Department, St. Olaf College

Q. Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if none leave blank)

A. Northfield Buddhist Meditation Center, Society of Composers, American Composers Forum, Northfield Hockey Association

Q. What inspired you to run for Northfield School Board?

A. Northfield schools are in the midst of one crisis, Covid, but face a looming second crisis: massive projected budget shortfalls at every level of government. Make no mistake, this budgetary tsunami is headed toward Northfield, and meeting this challenge is going to take creativity and no small amount of grit. I want to do my part by being in the room to advocate for our most precious and vulnerable programs.

Q. What qualifies you as a School Board member?

A. As a music professor and father of two avid orchestra members and hockey players (Molly and Cullen), I want to preserve the wonderful music, sports, and other extracurricular programs that make Northfield schools vibrant. When I was Chair of the St. Olaf Department of Music, I led the department through a time of deep budget cuts without endangering any of our core programs.

I have been an educator for most of my adult life. My mother, sister, aunt, and wife are all educators. I have seen first-hand how some of the wonderful teachers, coaches, and conductors at Greenvale, NMS, NHS and beyond have inspired my own children, and I will do my part to keep Northfield schools, all of our schools, one of the great strengths of our community.

Q. What is something that you would like to accomplish as a School Board member?

A. Our goal for the next 3 years must be to preserve what makes our schools great while finding new ways to educate and inspire our children. Right now Northfield schools spend nearly $14,000 per student per year, a total of over $57 million. The district is $63 million in debt, and we are a high tax county in a very high tax state (#5 in the US). More borrowing or higher taxes are likely to shoot us in the foot by discouraging new families from moving here. High taxes also cut against the goal of making Northfield a diverse, welcoming community. I am proud of the work that our teachers and administrators have done to face Covid, but this next crisis is going to take more than hard work: it’s going to take hard choices.

Q. What other information would you like the community to know about you?

A. I am a composers classical music including orchestral, chamber, and choral works. You can hear some of my music at justinmerrittmusic.com

Learn More About Justin: