Marathon School Board sets new open enrollment limits

By Kevin O’Brien

Open enrollment spots will remain scarce in the Marathon School District next school year after the school board voted last month to set tight limits for 2025-2026.

Based on the recommendation of administrators, the board set the cap on new open enrollments at zero in all but five grades. Six new students from outside the district will be allowed in ninth grade, five in fouryear- old kindergarten, three in second, two in kindergarten and one in fourth.

No new open enrollees will be accepted for any of the district’s special education programs, which have not any openings for the past two school years.

At this time last year, the board voted to allow a minimal number of new open enrollees in just three grades – 4K, first and ninth – for the 2024-2025 school year. All other grades were zeroed out, meaning that no new students from outside the district were accepted for this school year.

Before this school year, no open enrollment limits had been set at the high school, but with the student population projected to top 300 in the next few years, board members agreed with the administration’s recommendation to only allow eight new open enrollees in this year’s freshmen class.

Other business

■ The board accepted a $109,255 bid from Fischer Tracks for resurfacing and striping the high school’s outdoor track, which was installed in 2016 with the understanding that refurbishing would be needed in seven to 10 years. The work will be done this summer.

■ The board approved the 20252026 school calendar, which includes a starting date of Sept. 2, 2025 for students, a Thanksgiving break from Nov. 26-30, 2025, a Christmas break from Dec. 24, 2024 through Jan. 4, 2026, and a spring break from March 30 to April 3, 2026. The only change in the schedule relates to parentteacher conferences at Marathon Elementary, which have always been held over the course of two nights. Starting next year, the conferences will be held on Thursday night and Friday morning, just like the high school.

■ After meeting in closed session, the board voted to extend all administrative contracts for another two years.