With a New Year right around the corner, many of us can look forward to spending a little money; for things like a car, a vacation, furniture or hobbies.

The Marshall School District won’t have that luxury in 2026. Instead school officials will have to find ways to economize after voters turned down a levy request in November.

There might be some difficult budget decisions. Things that would be nice to keep, like some of the elective courses and school activities, might have to be discontinued. It will be a matter of making do with limited funding.

I was disappointed in the result of the election. School officials said they needed the funding to provide well rounded learning experiences.

A choice had to be made between helping kids and keeping down taxes. A majority of voters chose lower taxes. Some believe cuts are needed in administrative services.

My hope is that kids won’t be short changed. I would have been willing to absorb a rent increase if the levy referendum would have seriously increased property taxes. We need to spend money on education because nothing is more important than kids.

Administrators and school board members will try to keep all of the things we need most. I have no doubt that many valuable learning opportunities will still take place at Marshall’s public schools.

I was blessed with an excellent Marshall High School education in the mid 1980s. I wouldn’t have accomplished as much in my life if I had not had outstanding teachers and support staff.

It’s important two generations later that we continue to provide the best possible. We need to keep first rate staff members. We need to offer a solid academic foundation for students with all types of interests. We should do everything we can to keep an outstanding reputation.

I believe all of that is possible. A main factor that gives me hope is the success of the Pride in the Tiger Foundation.

It’s grown to the point that it has tremendous value as a financial resource for the district. Every year hundreds of people step forward to show their Tiger Pride.

One result is scholarships for high school seniors. Another is academic enrichment activities for all grade levels. It’s hard to imagine how we ever succeeded without Pride in the Tiger.

My family provides a yearly scholarship for a student who played baseball. If I’m fortunate enough to have money left over when I’m elderly I’d like to create a scholarship for students who are interested in a media career.

It’s a very good way to give something back, to contribute to the future of young people as a way of thanking the community for how it helped us in the past.

Even with Pride in the Tiger, it will be important for the school district to try again to get a levy referendum in place. The needs exist. We should meet all of the needs.

A good starting point would be to have a task force that can get the public engaged in a planning process. There should be input from those who supported the 2025 referendum, along with participation from those who opposed it.

Marshall is the education capital of southwest Minnesota. We’re home to a very successful state university that combines a small size with a wide choice of majors.

Support for public schools is a way to build on the city’s role. We should be more than just one of the largest and best districts in the region. We should be a district with educational opportunities that compare favorably with those offered anywhere.

A small group can’t reach that goal. It takes interest and involvement from many different people. The process should include people of all ages and from all walks of life.

There’s a very good possibility that the 2025 levy referendum will go down in history as a temporary setback. Most voters didn’t see it as the best answer. We should search for an even better answer, one that can win widespread public support.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and

contributor to the Marshall Independent