Marshall School Board hears operating referendum update as district faces roughly $1.8–2.0 million deficit

Marshall Public School District officials briefed the board on plans for an operating referendum that would generate roughly $2,000,000 a year and warned the district faces an approximate $1,800,000 deficit for the coming school year. The update, presented by a district staff member, said the referendum microsite at tomorrowstigers.org is live and includes tax-impact calculators, voting instructions and other materials. The presenter said early voting starts Sept. 19 and election day is Nov. 4; the district office will host in-person voting and mail-in processing. District staff said they have used reserves and trimmed budgets to protect classrooms but cannot sustain the current trajectory. "There is nothing left to cut that doesn't directly impact our classrooms," the presenter said, adding that without the referendum the district would face “fewer teachers, bigger classes, and fewer opportunities for students.” The presentation included outreach metrics: since going live in early June the site has recorded about 1,075 visits, 915 unique visitors, around 2,500 page views and an average time on page of 98 seconds; 54% of visits came from mobile devices. Staff said those numbers and a communications plan — including mailers, social media, community presentations and personal contacts at fall events — will be used to accelerate outreach beginning in August. Board members and staff repeatedly framed the referendum as necessary to avoid program and staffing cuts. Presenters said the district has burned through pandemic-era and other one-time funding and reserves are intended for emergencies, not ongoing operating costs. Staff also noted recent flood damage to the middle school’s F wing as an example of expenses that used reserves and insurance that did not cover all costs. No motion or vote on the referendum was taken during the meeting; the item was presented for information and discussion and will receive further review in an upcoming work session. The board scheduled an additional work session after the meeting for more detailed questions and to finalize a list of specific cuts that would follow if voters reject the referendum.