Photo by Deb Gau Marshall Middle School Principal Mary Kay Thomas, at right, spoke to members of the Marshall School board about security updates being added to the middle school’s main entrance. Some of the updates will include new glass, locking and intercom systems at the entrance.

MARSHALL — The really big changes hadn’t started yet — that will hopefully be next year, Marshall School Board Chairman Jeff Chapman said. But there were still enough changes going on at Marshall public schools that school board members went on a tour to take them all in.

“The buildings are in good shape,” Chapman said, but there will be a lot more to see after planned building expansion work starts.

Members of the school board met Monday afternoon to tour each building in the district, and learn about recent building updates. The tours are held most years, depending on if there are any changes to the school buildings, said Dion Caron, director of business services at MPS.

Features pointed out on the tours ranged from security updates at school buildings to the newly refinished gym floor at Marshall High School.

“The gym’s never looked better,” Chapman said. The work at the high school repaired water damage to the gym floor after snow from spring blizzards got in through the building’s HVAC system. Caron said some updates were made to the gym to prevent future damage. A stairwell that was scorched by an equipment fire this summer was also cleaned up.

Some of the building updates school board members saw included new doors and security measures at the entrances of MATEC and Marshall Middle School.

Principal Mary Kay Thomas said some of the other updates at the middle school this year are meant to try and accommodate a growing number of students in the building. There are 57 new students at the middle school this year, compared to 27 new students last year, she said.

“This is the most new students I’ve seen,” Thomas said.

With the growth of the student body, MMS has built new classrooms in existing building space. The school’s media center now has 10 classrooms in it, Thomas said.

“Hopefully, in two years we’re going to be able to spread out,” Thomas said. Part of the construction planned for the school district next year will be expanding early childhood education space at Park Side Elementary. When preschool classes move to Park Side, MMS will gain some more space to work with in those classrooms, she said.

Chapman said next year’s building tour, after construction is underway, will be exciting. Staff at Park Side are “excited about expansion,” he said.