A NEW ERA
Like many of its peers throughout the state’s rural areas, the East Marshall Community School District faces a variety of challenges that result from maintaining older facilities and facing a decline in enrollment and funding.
Our mission is to install a passion for learning with our students that will prepare them to achieve success beyond the classroom. This is made possible by ensuring they have the learning environment, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.
On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, our residents will consider a $13.5 million bond referendum. If it's approved by at least 60% of voters, East Marshall CSD will move ahead with a bold plan to reshape education in our communities.
This practical and cost-effective proposal is the result of more than a year’s worth of facility assessments, research, and planning. Throughout this process, we sought feedback from our communities, including the creation of an advisory task force that features residents, and a survey last spring.
The proposed solution on the ballot in November would allow the district to enhance safety and security, expand academic space and programming, and put East Marshall CSD on a path for future success that allows it to proudly educate future generations of Mustangs.
PUBLIC FORUMS
The East Marshall CSD will host public forums leading up to election day.
Residents are encouraged to attend one of these events to learn more about the facility challenges our students, teachers, and staff face on a daily basis, as well as the ways an approved bond referendum on would address these issues. District leaders will be present to answer questions.
The next public forum will be at the middle school in Gilman on September 18 starting at 5:30 p.m.
The forum on Saturday, September 21 will begin at 9 a.m. at the middle school in Gilman, and the final session will be Wednesday, October 2 at the elementary school in Laurel with a start time of 5:30 p.m.
ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
The district hosted a community survey in May 2024 to gather valuable feedback from residents about our school facility needs and potential solutions.
The survey was completed by 218 people, of which 77% said they have children currently attending school at East Marshall CSD.
Facility assessment and planning is not a new venture for district officials. In 2023, an Advisory Task Force that includes community members was created to help provide input on this process and analyze issues affecting East Marshall CSD. An architecture firm, FEH Design, was also engaged to assist with this process.
FEH Design facilitated five meetings with the task force to identify and rank issues that the district is facing. Survey participants were asked to rank these issues based on importance. The top six issues according to survey respondents were:
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Outdated Facilities: Outdated Facilities: All facilities lack 21st Century learning classrooms / opportunities, internet and adaptability is difficult in the old buildings, building structures are very limiting.
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Air Conditioning/HVAC: kids have to dress differently for different classes. Classes being canceled due to excessive heat, higher cost for utilities which is pulled from the General Fund that pays teachers/staff, and window air conditioners being used due to the boiler providing excessive heat to some classrooms.
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Recruitment/Retention: Staff shortages statewide make it difficult to recruit, technology integration issues - new staff are looking for better technology integration, green generation, old facilities with old lighting, old HVAC, old furniture, etc. make retention/recruitment difficult.
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Building Maintenance: High amount of money for the District due to the aging buildings and infrastructure, parts are becoming unavailable for HVAC units and electrical units.
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Usable Space/Flexibility: No usable space at the elementary, students are put into corridors to take tests at the elementary.
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School Safety: Buildings are not secured due to HVAC use resulting in windows being left open, blind corners throughout the buildings, tight corridors.
For the families of current students, the highest level of support was for the same three areas, but at slightly higher levels of support.
The survey also asked participants if they would be “supportive of the potential of closing a school building to allow the district to be more efficient?” A little more than 76.6% said yes to a potential closure, while 23.4% said no.