Carleton College pledges $2 million to Northfield Public Schools if referendums pass

Voters in the district will see three questions on their ballots asking if they approve various construction projects designed to upgrade Northfield High School.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
August 30, 2024 at 12:00PM
Carleton College is pledging to give $2 million to Northfield Public Schools if voters approve referendums to fund construction projects this fall. Pictured here: Carleton College President Alison Byerly, center, met with people during a reception in 2021. (Leila Navidi, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Carleton College on Thursday pledged to give $2 million to Northfield Public Schools to help with construction projects, if voters sign off on bond referendums this November.

“This is a historic investment in public schools by a Minnesota private college,” Superintendent Matt Hillmann said in a news release. “For one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges to invest in the community in this way to help it thrive shows great commitment to our community.”

Voters in the school district will see three questions on their ballot asking them to sign off on bonds to cover upgrades to Northfield High School.

The first question asks them to approve a $95 million project that would add 120,000 square-feet of classrooms, demolish some wings and renovate other areas. The second question asks voters to sign off on a nearly $19 million project to add to the gymnasium, and the third asks them to approve a nearly $7 million project to install a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The district estimates that a resident with a $350,000 home would see an annual tax increase of $307 to $413, depending on which combination of questions passes.

Carleton College President Alison Byerly said in a statement that the school wanted to help reduce construction costs because, “We know how important up-to-date classrooms and labs are to the learning experience of students.”

The college said nonprofits rarely donate to other institutions because their funds are typically designated for specific causes, but it has become more common for universities to make one-time donations to cover projects in the communities where they’re based.

The college said its donation “does not draw upon any tuition dollars but is made possible by undesignated gifts that the college can choose to devote to this purpose.”

about the writer

Liz Navratil

Higher education reporter

Liz Navratil covers higher education for the Star Tribune. She spent the previous three years covering Minneapolis City Hall as leaders responded to the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd’s murder.

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