Marshall district outlines nearly $2 million deficit, urges voters to back operating referendum
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Summary
Superintendent briefed the board on an operating referendum to address a reported nearly $2,000,000 budget deficit, noted early voting and the Nov. 4 election date, and the board set a Nov. 10 special meeting to canvass results. District staff also reported enrollment figures, a rising self‑insurance loss ratio, and ongoing facilities work.
Superintendent Jeremy reported that the Marshall Public School District is facing “what’s nearly a $2,000,000 deficit” and asked the community to consider an operating referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot intended to maintain current programs and services.
“Community outreach ... is a lot of where we’re spending a lot of our time right now,” Jeremy told the board as he reviewed outreach and timeline; he noted early voting was underway in the district office and reiterated that Election Day is Nov. 4. The board subsequently approved a short special meeting for 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10 to canvass the election results.
District staff tied the referendum context to classroom programs presented earlier in the meeting, saying some courses and extracurricular offerings could be affected if operating funds are not sustained. Jeremy said the board had authorized reductions that would take effect if the referendum fails.
Administrators also summarized several financial and operational items: the district reported an October‑1 enrollment snapshot that is 19 students higher than the end of last year but 14 students lower than the count at the start of the prior year; ongoing enrollment monitoring will continue. The facilities committee said a high‑school building controls project is “tracking 18% under budget” and nearing completion. The committee also identified district needs including steamers for food service at the middle and high schools, a malfunctioning handicap door at Southview and longer‑term work on middle‑ and high‑school roofs and parking lots over the next two to three years.
On risk management, finance staff reported the self‑insurance fund is showing a 137% loss ratio against a target of 85%, and noted significant premium increases implemented this year to stabilize the fund. The district also reported $12,300,000 held in district investment accounts described as MSD LAF accounts; staff discussed CD rates but the transcript contains an apparent transcription error in the upper bound of the range and an exact current top rate was not specified in the meeting record.
Instructional and assessment changes were also discussed: staff said the district is transitioning to new reading assessments called CAPT (replacing prior NWEA measures) and that CAPT training for staff is underway. The board approved site continuous improvement plans, which district staff said had been adjusted to reflect the new assessment data and new state readiness goals. The board also approved the district’s Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (CACR) plan, the state‑required successor document to the former “World’s Best Workforce” framework.
Board members asked no substantive follow‑ups during the briefing; the discussion was informational and several agenda motions related to scheduling and plan approvals were adopted without recorded opposition.