Northfield board praises superintendent; rates performance 4.9 of 5

The Northfield Public School Board released the results of its annual performance review of Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillman at its Aug. 10 regular meeting, saying he earned an overall rating of 4.9 out of 5.

The board said Hillman led extensive community outreach during the 2024 bond campaign, organized more than 92 community events and 26 high school tours that the board credited with helping all three bond referendum questions pass on Nov. 5, 2024. The board report included passage percentages for the three questions: Question 1 nearly 60% approval, Question 2 54% approval and Question 3 56% approval.

The board document also noted Hillman’s role in directing the budget process for the 2025–26 school year, in which staff and the community helped develop a proposal that included $6,000,000 in reductions the district said were "painful but necessary." The board wrote that Hillman and Director of Finance Val Merdysdorf presented the need for the reductions and managed community engagement during that process.

Board members’ written comments, compiled and summarized by the executive assistant, praised Hillman’s outreach and communication. One board member wrote, “Matt did an outstanding job,” and another said Hillman’s efforts gave community members “ample opportunity to learn about the needs of the district and the impact of the proposed referendum.” The board said written comments were shared with Hillman but not attributed to specific members.

The board’s summary concluded that the district is “managed well by a respected and engaged leader” and said it has “full confidence” in Hillman’s leadership moving into the next academic year.

The evaluation summary is included in the board packet available on the district website.