New school year brings change

Drop-off lanes, bike paths and technology policies ahead for MPS

MARSHALL -- Class starts next week at Marshall Public Schools. As students and families get ready for the first day of school, MPS administrators and staff say there will be some changes to keep in mind - like a new drop-off lane for parents driving to Marshall Middle School, and new technology policies limiting student use of devices like cell phones at Marshall High School.

A redesign of the MMS parking lot was MPS's biggest building project over the summer, said Superintendent Jeremy Williams. Besides getting a new asphalt surface and fresh striping, the parking lot now has a new traffic flow meant to be safer and more convenient for parents dropping children off at school.

"We've been working on this probably since last summer," Williams said. MMS Principal Peggy Reynolds said that, in addition to working with engineers, school officials also looked as how other schools handled student pickups and drop-offs.

"It's definitely safer," she said of the new design.

The first major change to the middle school parking lot is that it now has only one entrance and one exit, Williams and Reynolds said. Two marked traffic lanes will enter at the south end of the parking lot, near the track facilities. As the lanes approach the front of the middle school, drivers will zipper merge into one lane, and enter the student drop-off area.

Once students have been dropped off at the school, parents are asked to use a left bypass lane and follow exit signs to leave the lot.

"I feel like the feedback has been really positive," on the new parking lot design, Reynolds said.

MPS created a tutorial video for the new traffic procedures, and posted it to the district's Facebook page. However, Reynolds said school staff will also help direct traffic.

Williams and Reynolds encouraged families to allow more time to drop off their children early in the school year, until people get used to the new traffic flow.

New bike paths

Some changes at MMS and Southview Elementary will also make traveling to and from school safer for kids, Williams said. This summer, construction was completed on a new bike and walking trail running from C Street to Southview Drive.

The path allows pedestrians or bikers another way to access both Southview and MMS without having to travel on Progress Drive or cut across the middle school's back parking lot. It's an improvement for safety, because it means students won't be traveling through an area where large trucks or equipment are moving.

"Another big change is the bike lane" at MMS, Williams said. As part of the middle school parking lot renovations, a bike path and marked bike lane were added to help students get to school safely. Williams said the path helps cut back on the need for kids to cross parking lot entrances or cut through the parking lot. Instead, the bike path takes students past the track area, and into a marked bike lane separate from vehicle traffic areas of the parking lot. The path ends at a bike rack, Williams said.

Class starts Sept. 1

In past years, different grade levels at MPS have started class on different days. This year, everyone except for preschoolers and kindergarteners starts school on Sept. 1.

Williams said in past years, the start of classes was staggered to allow for student assessment days at the beginning of the school year. This year, it worked out better to have an open house for elementary and middle school students and families on Monday, Aug. 31, and then start school on Sept. 1.

"We'll see how it goes this year," Williams said.

The open house is a good time for families to meet teachers, get familiar with the school buildings, and prepare for the school year. "For the middle school students, it's a chance to get their schedule, and try out their lockers," Reynolds added.

Safety planning underway

As students head back to school this year, MPS staff are working to meet a new state requirement to help save lives during medical emergencies. In 2025, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring schools to have a written Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP), outlining how school staff should respond to a cardiac emergency. In a news release this week, the American Heart Association said CERPs establish clear procedures for responding to a cardiac emergency, identify response team roles, ensure emergency equipment is accessible and promote regular practice drills.

Tricia Stelter, director of operations at MPS, said the district is in the process of drafting a CERP for approval by the school board.

"We already have many of the procedures in place," like having automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and CPR training, Stelter said. She said the district is working on additional measures like having signage letting people know where AEDs are located in each school building.

MHS to limit tech devices

At Marshall High School, a new technology policy will be in place for students this fall. During school hours, students will be locking personal electronic devices like smartphones, smart watches and AirPods inside special cases, said Principal Brian Jones.

Jones said the move isn't a technology ban.

"We're not anti-tech. But there still need to be some guardrails," on how students use personal devices, he said.

In July, parents of MHS students received a letter explaining that the high school wanted to help students develop critical thinking and learning skills, while minimizing distractions and giving students a chance to interact with their peers.

Jones said discussions about limiting use of personal electronic devices at school started last spring. MHS gathered feedback from staff, parents and students, and reached out to other schools Marshall's size to learn how they handled the issue.

Jones said MHS opted to use NuKase, a system of locking cases for phones and other electronics. Students will place their devices in a lockable case at the start of the school day. After dismissal, students can use unlocking stations at the school in order to be able to use their devices again.

The system does have some special cases for students with medical issues, who need to access technology for their medical devices, Jones said.

Jones estimated that the school purchased about 900 of the cases, which run about $20 per case. MPS had funds available in its budget, and the Parent-Teacher Organization also helped with funding the project, he said.

"We hope we will create student engagement in the classroom," Jones said. He also hoped that students will be able to have healthy social development, from interacting with their peers face-to-face.

So far, he said, "Parent support has been positive."