Trending
As summer begins to wind down and excitement for a new school year starts to build, I want to take a few minutes to welcome everyone back and share some of the great things happening across Marshall Public Schools.
First, I want to extend a tremendous thank you to our buildings and grounds, custodial, maintenance, and technology teams. While many of us were enjoying summer activities, these dedicated staff were hard at work preparing our buildings, grounds, technology systems, and learning spaces for the return of students and staff. Their efforts often happen behind the scenes, but they play a critical role in making sure our schools are safe, welcoming, and ready for learning on day one. We are incredibly grateful for all they do.
A new school year also means new faces, and we are excited to welcome many new members to the Marshall Public Schools family. This fall we are welcoming 13 new teachers serving in a variety of roles across the district, 19 new support staff members, and 14 current employees who are stepping into new positions. We are excited to have each of them on our team and look forward to the talents, energy, and experiences they will bring to our schools.
One of the biggest and most visible projects this summer was the completion of the new Marshall Middle School parking lot. This project not only addressed the condition of the previous lot, but also significantly improved traffic flow and safety around the building. Families will notice designated drop-off lanes, a new bike lane, and a much more efficient design that will serve our students, staff, and families well for many years to come.
A special thank you goes out to all of our project partners who worked diligently throughout the summer to complete the project on time and on budget.
Behind the scenes, we also implemented several operational improvements that will help us better serve students and staff. We transitioned to a new employee insurance provider, changed our vending partnership from Coke to Pepsi, and launched a new districtwide managed print program in partnership with Marco. The move to zone printing across all sites will reduce the number of printers throughout the district and create significant long-term savings in printing costs.
Families may also notice a change in our transportation services. Southwest Coaches came under new ownership this summer as Minnesota Coaches assumed operations in July. While the owner has changed, families will continue to see many familiar faces and receive the same quality service they've come to expect.
For students participating in activities, our registration platform has changed from Arbiter to Bound, joining schools across much of Minnesota in making this transition. The system is fully operational, and we believe families will find it easy to use as they complete registrations for fall activities. If anyone needs assistance setting up an account, our Activities Department at Marshall High School is ready to help.
We also made significant investments in learning opportunities for students. This summer, our Career and Technical Education programs underwent curriculum renewal, and the district invested in updated curriculum resources for Agriculture, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, PAES, Media Arts, and Career and Technical Instruction courses.
These experiences provide students with valuable hands-on learning opportunities while helping them explore future careers and develop skills for success beyond graduation.
At the high school, students will also benefit from our ongoing technology replacement cycle. This year, freshmen and seniors will receive new MacBook Neo devices, replacing older HP notebooks and ensuring students have reliable tools to support their learning.
As we reflect on the past year, there is much to celebrate. More than 83 percent of our students met or exceeded benchmark expectations in DIBELS assessments, and strategic interventions paired with high-quality instruction helped even more students achieve reading success. We successfully implemented a new reading curriculum, continued to strengthen community partnerships, reduced the percentage of chronically absent students, and maintained technology systems that were available more than 99.9 percent of the time.
Beyond the classroom, Tiger students and staff achieved remarkable success through 13 state tournament appearances, recognition of five coaches with prestigious awards, and more than $264,000 in scholarships awarded through Pride in the Tiger. These accomplishments are a reflection of the dedication, talent, and hard work found throughout our schools and community.
Looking ahead to 2026-2027, we remain focused on continuous improvement. This year marks the final year of our initial READ Act training efforts. We will also begin reviewing our K-12 mathematics curriculum to ensure alignment with new state standards and the needs of all learners. We remain committed to addressing chronic absenteeism and strengthening family engagement across every school in our district because we know that strong partnerships between schools and families are essential to student success.
Marshall Public Schools continues to be a place where students are challenged, supported, and inspired every day. Thank you for your continued support of our schools and the opportunities we provide for our students.
We're excited for another outstanding year of learning, growth, and Tiger pride.
Have a great school year, and as always, Go Tigers!
-- Jeremy Williams is superintendent of Marshall Public Schools