T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Marshalltown School Board members Zach Wahl, Elizabeth Wise and Sara Faltys listen to a presentation during the regular Monday meeting. Every board member voted in favor of spending $715,000 for the purchase of four properties as part of the Reimagine Miller Middle School project.

The Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education voted unanimously in favor of spending $715,000 to purchase properties for the upcoming Miller Middle School project.

Superintendent Theron Schutte presented four properties to the board members:

• 1115 W. Boone St. at a cost of $125,000;

• 1117 W. Boone St., $200,000;

• 110 S. 12th St., $155,000 and;

• 208 S. 12th St., $235,000.

Through the purchases, he said it will get the district a “good way” toward acquiring real estate to provide more space for the construction logistics and equipment. According to Schutte, it will help increase parking capacity in the long term, which is needed at Miller.

He said they were pleasantly surprised at how quickly the property purchase agreements were facilitated with the current residents, the Gauthier and Fisher families. Schutte said the Boone Street properties are at the entrance of the parking lot of the newer gymnasium.

“These houses are probably, for the most part, the houses that are in the best condition of that block,” he said.

The kicker, Schutte said, is that all of the houses have been tentatively claimed to be closed upon in May of this year. He added that the district should have access to one of the properties by the late summer or fall. The other residents have asked permission to continue to reside through the spring of 2026.

“In one case, they’re going to build a home,” Schutte said. “So, they need time to be able to build a home and transition in.”

He said the district will essentially be rent-free landlords during that period of time. The goal is to move some of the houses to lots owned by the City of Marshalltown and sell them. However, whether or not a house can be moved will be determined once the district has a local mover look at the property.

“We do recognize there’s a shortage of houses,” Schutte said. “Three of them have the potential to be moved. If that is in fact the case, that will work out well.”

In other business:

• Executive Director of Finance and Operations Randy Denham presented the certified budget for the 2025-26 school year. He said the biggest challenge is the lack of state supplemental aid (SSA), which is determined by the legislature. Even though the legislature did not meet the self-imposed SSA deadline, Denham said school districts still have to file budgets with the state by April 30. On Monday, the Senate did approve a two percent increase in aid per pupil funding and sent it to the House. Senators and Gov. Kim Reynolds originally suggested the 2 percent increase in February. However, the House returned it to the Senate with a 2.25 percent increase.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

|bradstream@timesrepublican.com.