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Marshall board approves revised 2025–26 budget and several contracts amid deficit projection
Summary
The board approved a revised 2025–26 budget projecting a net deficit of just over $1.9 million, approved several vendor contracts (Pepsi, sanitation, audit, print services) and acknowledged program and staffing impacts including a return to Blue Cross Blue Shield for employee insurance.
The Marshall School Board on Tuesday approved a revised 2025–26 budget that projects a net deficit across funds of just over $1.9 million, the district treasurer told the board during a detailed budget review.
"I'm now projecting a net deficit of just over 1.9 million dollars," the treasurer (Sarah) said while walking the board through the revised budget presentation. She said increased expenditures included roughly $185,000 for mandated curriculum tied to the Read Act and higher substitute and paraprofessional costs related to recent changes in paid-leave laws and staffing patterns.
The treasurer described adjustments across multiple funds, including a roughly $15,000 decrease in capital outlay revenue, loss of about $68,000 in compensatory funding compared with the prior year’s projection for Marshall, and the state’s change to transportation funding for ALC students that reduced related revenue from roughly $100,000 to about $5,000. Combining general fund and transportation balances, she said the district’s combined fund balance would drop from near 20% to about 14.85% by year-end.
Board members also approved a slate of procurement and service contracts during the meeting: a three-year agreement with Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Pipestone to support food service and concessions; a three-year sanitation and recycling contract awarded to Sweetman Sanitation; Hoffman and Brobst to provide fiscal year 2026 audit services (with a noted fee reduction of $1,075 year over year); and a new print-management agreement expected to reduce printing costs by about $40,000 annually. Several of those actions were described as cost-saving measures discussed as part of the district’s earlier budget reduction work.
Administration also noted a planned return to Blue Cross Blue Shield for employee health insurance after employees expressed a preference and the insurer offered pricing to match a competing vendor’s increase.
After discussion the board approved the revised budget (motion by Jeff; second by Kim). The treasurer and administration said they will continue to pursue cost-saving strategies and monitor revenues; the budget motion passed and the board adjourned.
