Marshall School Board Approves Major Changes to Football Seating and Junior High Track

Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education Meeting | February 12, 2026

Article Summary: The Marshall Board of Education approved a suite of athletic committee recommendations, including a substantial price increase for reserved football seating and the introduction of a tryout system for sixth graders joining the junior high track team.

Athletic Policy Key Points:

• Reserved football seating prices will jump from $12 to $50 per seat, a move projected to increase seating income from $4,250 to $17,500.

• The grandstand seating arrangement will be restructured to consolidate reserved seating, subsequently increasing overall General Admission (GA) capacity by 137 seats.

• Sixth graders will now be allowed to sign up for junior high track, though the first week of practice will function as a competitive tryout to fill empty event slots.

The Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education on Thursday, February 12, 2026, unanimously approved a significant price increase for varsity football reserved seating alongside a new tryout policy for younger track athletes.

Superintendent Ross presented the proposed changes to the board, noting that the updates originated from a January Athletic Committee meeting. To restructure seating at the football stadium and maximize revenue, the committee recommended raising the price of a reserved seat from $12 to $50.

To accommodate the change, the grandstand will be strictly sectioned off. The North section of the grandstand bleachers will be exclusively reserved for the band and students, while the entire South section will be dedicated to General Admission (GA) seating. In the middle two sections of the grandstand, only rows five through ten will be designated as reserved seats, leaving rows one through four open for GA.

According to the committee’s report, this specific arrangement will successfully maintain the district’s 350 reserved seats while multiplying the resulting income from $4,250 to $17,500. Furthermore, the reshuffling will actually increase the total number of General Admission seats by 137, with over 200 of those GA seats located in the first four rows of the middle sections.

The board also addressed participation in the junior high track program. Following input from High School Coach Arthur and Junior High Coach Whitmore, the Athletic Committee recommended allowing sixth graders to sign up for the junior high team under specific conditions. Moving forward, the first week of practice will serve as a tryout period for the sixth-grade athletes. Coaches will then keep only the athletes necessary to fill empty events on the roster.

Mr. Crews offered the motion to approve the Athletic Committee’s recommendations as presented, which was seconded by Mrs. Hendrix. The board approved the measure in a unanimous roll call vote, with Mr. Crews, Mrs. Morecraft, Mr. Gard, Mr. Maurer, Mrs. Hendrix, and Mr. Macke all voting aye. Board member Mr. Lycan was absent from the meeting.

Meeting Briefs:

Facility Upgrades and Bus Quotes: Superintendent Ross provided the board with a brief update on ongoing facility and transportation projects. He reported that the Bush Field bleachers installation is nearly complete. Additionally, the district has obtained quotes for adding air conditioning to its existing buses, as well as quotes for purchasing a used handicapped-accessible bus and a used regular route bus that already have air conditioning equipped. Finally, Ross noted that one of the district’s large boilers needs retubing, prompting the board to schedule a Facilities Committee Meeting for 5:00 p.m. on March 12 to formally discuss whether to retube the failing boiler or replace the units entirely.

Personnel Resignations and Retirements: Following a closed session that lasted from 6:27 p.m. to 6:59 p.m., the board unanimously approved several staff departures. The board accepted the retirement of David Xanders, effective at the end of June 2026. Resignations were also accepted from Megan Wilson, who will step down as the North School and Junior High music instructor at the end of the 2025-26 school year, and Amy Gard and Allison Medsker, who will resign as the MHS Student Council Co-Sponsors at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Weight Room Volunteer Coaches Approved: The board unanimously approved a motion by Mr. Macke, seconded by Mrs. Morecraft, to appoint a roster of Volunteer Coaches for the district’s Weight Room. The approved volunteers include Nolan Miller, Brad Phillips, Mitch Morgan, Levi Gard, Bryan Bayes, Ethan Claypool, and Curt Mason.

Choir Field Trip and Professional Conferences: The board unanimously approved a motion by Mrs. Morecraft and seconded by Mrs. Hendrix to authorize upcoming district travel. Mrs. Setzer and Mrs. Wilson were granted approval to take the MJHS and MHS Choirs on a field trip to the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. Additionally, the board approved a professional meeting request allowing Kelly Landrus to attend the Illinois Reading Conference.

Public Comment on Wrestling Support: During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Trent Dahnke addressed the board. Dahnke thanked the board members and the schools for their ongoing support of the MHS Wrestling team, specifically expressing gratitude for the use of district facilities to host the Marshall Red Rush wrestling meet, which serves as the program’s largest fundraiser.