Marshall Approves South Elementary Plan Behind $15,000 Math Position

Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education | September 10, 2026

Article Summary: The Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 board voted 7-0 on Sept. 10, 2026, to submit a South Elementary school improvement plan to the Illinois State Board of Education in support of a Title 1003a grant. This year the grant will put $15,000 toward the salary of a math intervention position added to address needs at the district’s North and South schools.

South Elementary Improvement Plan Key Points:

• $15,000 will be spent this year to offset the salary of the math intervention position.
• The grant is available because of a Targeted designation two years ago, tied to the performance of low-income third and fourth graders in math and ELA.
• The position started in the 2025-26 school year and serves needs at both North and South.
• Approved 7-0 on a voice vote for submission to ISBE as presented.

MARSHALL — The Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, signed off on a school improvement plan for South Elementary School, clearing the way for the district to claim a federal grant that pays part of the salary of a math interventionist.

Superintendent Ross presented a draft of the plan, which is required for the Title 1003a grant. The grant is available to the district because of a Targeted designation received two years ago.

That designation, Ross told the board, had to do with the performance of third graders and fourth graders who qualify for low income underperforming in math and ELA — particularly in math.

The plan the board approved focuses on partial pay of the math intervention position that started in the 2025-26 school year. This year, $15,000 will be spent to offset that salary. The position was added to address needs at both North and South, according to the record of the meeting.

Ross reported that math scores have improved greatly and that ELA scores have held steady or improved since the intervention began, pointing the board to the data in the plan itself.

Board member Hendrix offered a motion, seconded by board member Crews, to approve the plan for submission to ISBE as presented. On a voice vote, the motion was approved 7-0.

What Is Not in the Record

The improvement plan itself was not distributed with the meeting materials reviewed for this report, so the score data Ross referred to is not independently available. The record does not state the assessment used, the baseline or current proficiency rates in either subject, the number of students served by the interventionist, or the total cost of the position beyond the $15,000 the grant will offset.

Nor does the record state the total value of the Title 1003a grant, the grant period, whether the district has drawn on it in prior years, or how much of the position’s cost the district itself is carrying. The plan covers South Elementary, but the interventionist’s work is described as addressing needs at North as well; the record does not explain how the position’s time is divided between the two buildings or whether a separate plan exists for North.

The Targeted designation is dated only as “2 years ago” relative to the September 2026 meeting, and the record does not name the accountability framework under which it was assigned.

The item appeared on the agenda under New Business as an action to approve the South Elementary School Improvement Plan for the Title 1003a grant, and it drew no recorded discussion from board members beyond the motion and the vote.