MARSHALL — The Marshall Public School board approved a final list of district cuts to take place next school year as the result of the failed referendum at Tuesday’s board meeting. The list of cuts will reduce the district’s expenditures by a minimum of $1.8 million for 2026-27 with district-wide staffing reductions, along with the elimination of some programs and other budget adjustments.

The list of cuts

The final list of cuts to be made similarly resembles the original proposed reductions that were presented by the district and board in September if the referendum was to fail.

Around 26 staff positions are included in the list, along with the elimination of the junior high softball, junior high speech, junior high track and the gymnastics programs.

Faculty reductions include a handful of teachers at various levels across all school sites, along with staff positions in maintenance, academic support, classroom aides, an administrative assistant and other roles.

Other budget adjustments to be made is the implementation of increased student activity fees, charging for senior activity passes, and adjustments to contracted servicing and additional revenue through expanded Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework.

The district will present the list of specific staff members associated with each cut at the Feb. 2 school board meeting.

A full breakdown of the final list of cuts can be found on the Marshall Public School school board website under the agenda for Jan. 20, 2026. A full video of the meeting can also be watched on Marshall’s Studio 1 TV for Jan. 20.

Public forum

Prior to the board’s approval of the budget cuts, a large group of teachers, faculty, parents and community members filled the board meeting room to participate in the public forum and voice their thoughts and concerns about the reductions.

A group of around 15 people spoke to the board.

With a large presence of Marshall Education Association (MEA) members in attendance, Marshall’s teacher union, Rick Purrington started the forum by speaking first. He currently serves as the president of the MEA, and is a Marshall High School social studies teacher.

“I want to start this evening by thanking you (the board) for stepping up to serve our community and our students. These are difficult times for our district,” Purrington said. “My question for you tonight is this — How do you best serve these two groups (students and the Marshall community)? First, there is no clearer way to serve the students of Marshall than to support the teachers and staff who work face-to-face with them every day … I’d like to ask, are there other reduction options that could better serve students?”

Language Arts teacher and director of the theater program Daniel Smith also stepped up to speak, and told a story about the common situation of teachers having to adjust plans on the spot in their lessons.

“I learned a long time ago that if I was going to make it as a teacher, I’d better learn to be a flexible and creative problem solver, and I’m going to apply that skill set now … That story is on my mind because it feels like a microcosm of what we’ve experienced here in the last few months. This district had a remarkably successful fall, and I felt a certain sort of energy and hope and enthusiasm that the levy was passing,” Smith said. “Now, we must be creative problem solvers in a time of crisis. Of course, it was responsible and necessary to have a plan in place before the vote, in case the referendum didn’t pass … Teachers know a thing or two about adjusting plans to meet the needs of students, and I’m here tonight to encourage the board that now is the time to adjust the plan proposed.”

Marshall kindergarten teacher Nicole Jens later spoke on behalf of the kindergarten team, with a group of fellow teachers and aides standing behind her.

“As a final vote on staffing approaches, the kindergarten team feels compelled to speak one last time from the heart. Preschool and kindergarten aids are a non-negotiable for the success of our students, our school and our district,” Jens said. “Many students enter kindergarten with little to no classroom experience. At the same time, the academic rigor has increased dramatically over my 15 years of teaching kindergarten. Kindergarten aids are essential in meeting these growing demands, ensuring that all students are educated, supported and prepared for success.”

Members of the Marshall gymnastics team and coaching staff were also in attendance, with coach Samantha Weber addressing the board regarding what the sport has brought to herself, as a former player, and current athletes, as she stated, “I experience firsthand the discipline, resilience, teamwork and confidence that this program provides. As a coach, I now see those same qualities developing in our current athletes.”

Other speakers touched on topics regardings other areas to be affected, including parent-student connectors, CTE, intervention programs and more.

“I believe that my job as a human being, as a parent, as an advocate, is to do what’s best for all of our tiny humans, from pre-K all the way through 12th grade,” Kathleen Deutz, a mother of four MPS students, said. “When I look at our mission statement, ‘To educate, support and prepare all learners for success,’ that is our core purpose. ‘All learners for success’ is everyone. I’m a learner, you’re a learner, our teachers are learners, our students are learners, our kindergarten aides are learners, our preschool aids are learners … The Marshall community supports and embraces our educational mission through building and maintaining a strong community based on partnerships.”

The district’s response

At the end of the meeting, the board unanimously voted to approve the final list of cuts.

Superintendent Jeremy Williams affirmed with the Independent that reduction decisions were taken seriously, with careful evaluation of all positions and consideration of multiple options regarding how to trim down the budget.

Following the vote approval, school board Vice Chair Sara Runchey gave a statement on behalf of the entire board and district administration regarding their decisions, and addressed concerns the district has heard.

“These decisions were made after careful consideration and a commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with educational quality. None of the decisions that have been made were made lightly or without consideration in multiple scenarios and potential cuts,” Runchey said. “It is important to note that all areas of the district were carefully considered in these cuts. There is not a single reduction that is easy, or will not impact students or staff.”

A common concern that came to the forefront during the process of the referendum, and in Tuesday’s public forum, was regarding administrative positions.

“We have heard feedback suggesting that administrative cuts should come first, and we want to clarify that administrative costs account for only 11% of district salaries. The proposed administrative cuts are significantly greater in that area, but cannot fully address the financial gap we face. Cuts in administration are included, but they alone would not stabilize the budget,” Runchey said. “We also want to address feedback regarding the restructuring of the Director of Business Services role into two positions, the Director of Finance and Director of Operations. While this may appear as an addition, it was necessary to ensure critical work could be completed. Effectively, asking one person to manage both roles was no longer feasible given the size and complexity of our district. The creation of the two positions has, and will, continue to add savings to our district.”

“Of note, four positions with administrative duties, representing 12.5% of all administrative roles, will be reduced. 1.5 parent-student connected positions reduced account for 33% of that department. One reduced custodial position accounts for 4% of all custodial positions,” Runchey added, regarding some of the specific department cuts. “Six support staff positions representing 5.2% of all support positions will be reduced, and 13.5 fewer teacher positions account for 5.7% of all teacher positions.”

Runchey also cited, in response to another public concern being the benefits offered to administration, that “Over 87% of school districts offer insurance packages that mirror ours (Marshall’s) … These factors are essential for maintaining a strong workforce and ensuring stability for our students. It should also be noted that the district offers a generous health insurance employer contribution to all employees.”

The budget cuts and reductions are to take place in the next upcoming 2026-27 school year.

“We, the Board of Education, have guided this process every step of the way. We represent the priorities of our community, and we are grateful for your engagement and commitment to our schools,” Runchey said. “These decisions are never easy, but they are necessary to ensure the long term stability of our school district. We realize that this impacts several individuals in our district, and we have not made any of these decisions lightly.”