05/12/2026
Find Maya Betti’s report on https://kymnradio.net/2026/05/12/whats-next-for-the-reimagine-northfield-high-school-project/ • Northfield school officials say the major renovation and expansion of Northfield High School will proceed on its original timeline, despite construction bids coming in roughly $19 million over budget.
The next step, scheduled for mid-June, is to return to contractors to rebid three major portions of the project — the masonry, precast concrete and structural steel — which initially drew only one bid each.
“We didn’t have a competitive bid day for all of the aspects of the project,” Superintendent Matt Hillmann said.
The project architect, Wold Architects and Engineers, and construction management firm, Knutson Construction, both previously worked on Northfield’s 2018 bond referendum projects.
According to Wold Education Practice Leader Sal Bagley, the team conducted multiple independent cost estimates throughout the design process leading up to bid day, none of which anticipated the shortfalls that ultimately emerged.
“We were keeping an eye on the budget and the market,” Bagley said. “But obviously, you know, bid day is all about who shows up that day and who else is out to bid.”
