MARSHALL — With the Marshall Public School District facing upcoming budget cut decisions after the recent 10-year, $2 million referendum was voted down, community members voiced their thoughts to the school board at a recent meeting regarding what’s to come.

District officials are to hand in a final list of reductions to the school board no later than Feb. 2, according to board action taken at the Sept. 15, 2025, meeting. There is one more board meeting scheduled before the Feb. 2 deadline that is open to the public to attend and speak directly to the board, if desired. The meeting is slated for Jan. 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the district office.

The referendum failed with 1,647 votes against the plan, and 1,416 votes approving the levy. The district is now working on identifying approximately $1.9 million in cuts to take place next school year.

Proposed budget cuts presented by district officials at the Sept. 2 board meeting included 29 staff positions across the district, along with possible elective and extracurricular reductions, and the elimination of bussing within one mile of the elementary schools.

At the recent Dec. 15 meeting, Marshall residents Anne Marie Vorbach and Zach Haltvick spoke to the board on behalf of other community members reaffirming equity while the district works on cuts.

“I’m here today along with some other former members of the Say-Yes Committee to share our thoughts about upcoming budget cuts in the district … We volunteered many hours and contributed financial resources while advocating in this community to support Marshall Public Schools,” Vorbach, a former school board member, said during her public forum. “We’re here today to talk about some things that we heard from community members who expressed their concerns about the school budget. Most of this is probably familiar to you all, but we want to bring it out into a public conversation.”

“Broadly, the sentiment that we heard was that the district is spending more on administrative costs than seems reasonable … There is a perception in this community that those in these positions are not bearing the same burden of cost cutting that is being placed on students and teachers,” Vorbach added. “Our request, and we will go into this in some more detail, is that the pain and losses related to budget cuts be equitably distributed among all those who work in the district, among all departments.”

Among the proposed list of cuts in September included positions between custodians, administrative assistants, classroom aides, support staff, core classroom positions and renegotiated contracts, along with the possible eliminations of a few programs and increased activity fees.

“I too served on the Say-Yes committee, volunteering time, money and the use of space in my business for phone banking. I asked for the support of the referendum for many parents and potential voters who came into my business and often received feedback as to why they would or wouldn’t support it,” Haltvick said. “I heard from many people who view that there are too many people in administrative roles receiving fully-funded health care. While I know these benefits have been negotiated into contracts, health care costs continue to skyrocket around the country. I believe it’s necessary to revisit these contributions in the next negotiation cycle.”

“My second point is staffing in the district office … Voters see that the proposed cuts will directly impact education opportunities, while putting more on the plate of teachers and support staff,” Haltvick added. “Our school leadership has lost trust in the community, as evidenced by two failed referendums. That trust must be earned back by looking in the mirror, and listening to the concerns of the community.”

In a Q&A session held in late October prior to the referendum election with superintendent Jeremy Williams, Director of Finance Sarah Kirchner and board vice chair Sara Runchey, the Independent asked about district benefits.

“All of our bargaining groups do receive an employer contribution to their health insurance and dental insurance. It’s not just the administrative team. The administrative team does receive 100% participation by the employer, but that doesn’t mean that some of our staff aren’t receiving any contribution,” Kirchner said. “It’s pretty significant. I actually ran the numbers last week (late October), and I think the lowest percentage of employer contribution to health insurance was like 48%, so we’re almost paying half of everyone’s health insurance, if not more, depending on the group and how they’ve bargained across the years.”

Runchey also added that it’s important to remember the district is seeing a shortage in both teachers and administrative staff that have all proper licensures.

“I’m going to end my time with a reminder about the 10 commitments to equity that this district adopted in 2022 … The first one — Prioritize equity, set and communicate a vision that targets for high outcomes for all students,” Vorbach said. “Start from within. Focus on leadership and inclusiveness. Follow the money, allocate resources to learners who need them most. Value people. Focus on teachers and leaders. Develop the people you have. Ensure equitable access to the best teachers and improve conditions for learning. Focus on school, culture, climate and social emotional development.”

Williams and Kirchner noted after the failed referendum that while it wasn’t the outcome the district was hoping for, he and district officials respect the decision made by voters and will maintain transparency with families and staff while navigating the challenges.

“There is nothing on that list (of cuts) that was an easy, ‘Yep, this has to go,’ because we have been very intentional about trying to meet what the state’s requiring, and what our families expect of us,” Williams told the Independent during the Q&A. “I would put our education system in Marshall against any school district in the state. I think we do a great job for our kids.”