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MARSHALL – The Pride in Tiger Foundation set a record with $260,000 in scholarship grants for senior class of 2026, according to Executive Director Krista Bjella.
She delivered a report to Marshall Public Schools District board on Monday.
Bjella said the annual grant money tripled its 2020 donation and in 2025, the yearly donations jumped from just over $200,000 to $240,000.
Bjella also mentioned teacher grant scholarships, where any teacher from the Marshall School District can request direct funding from the program.
The foundation is looking to provide funding for anything that is both long lasting and will have an impact, she said. Recently the board provided funding for new bleachers, books for the speech class, and STEM projects for elementary students.
"There’s a lot of great things going on in our schools," Bjella said. "Were proud to be part of those things."
Bjella also mentioned some of the events the Pride in the Tiger Foundation has hosted, including a golf classic and raffle that hosted 21 teams and 32 sponsors. The event raised $17,000 for the classroom grants. Bjella thanked the board for their positive attitude at the event.
"Its really easy for them (the board) to enjoy the day when they know they’re raising money for kids," Bjella said.
School board treasurer Sara Brink offered her support for the program.
"Sitting in at the board meetings every month, getting that behind the scenes look," Brink said. “Everyone in that room is there for one purpose. It’s for the kids, it’s for the education."
Meanwhile,Tricia Stelter, the Marshall Public Schools director of operations, gave an update on district construction projects, cleaning of classrooms, paint jobs in rooms and new flooring at the Marshall public school gyms. Some unused bleachers were removed at the middle school to expand the weight room.
These maintenance and upkeep projects are funded through the state of Minnesota’s Long Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM). According to Stelter, it is a 10-year plan that pays for specifically maintenance and facility upkeep. However, as seen later, it can also provide some other uses.
Also during the meeting, the board heard from Brandon and Carrie Termco with Tremco Roofing on a proposed roofing project at the High School A portion of the middle school roof have exceeded their 20-year lifespan and are in need of replacement. According to Brandon Tremco, both roofing projects combined are expected to cost roughly $6.7-$7.5 million.
According to Sarah Kirchner, the director of finance at Marshall Public Schools, because of the high costs, the Minnesota State Legislature has allowed roofing projects to be paid for through the LTFM. That will allow the project to be paid for over the course of 11 years, meaning taxes will not need to be raised.
"I appreciate we found a way to do this without raising any taxes," Board Chair Matt Coleman said. "Good time to do it."