The Marshall Public Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday, Oct. 8 to not go forward with the proposed purchase of a bulldozer for work on the former Habilitation Center campus.

Superintendent Caleb Petet says the board expressed concern about additional costs as well as the potential resale value that would come had the district gone forward with the idea presented last month to purchase the bulldozer.

Petet says the plan is to formally solicit bids for the grading work next month. The superintendent also provided a summary of the district’s recent surplus auction sale, which brought in $28,380.

Superintendent Petet noted that the district is tentatively scheduling a pair of tours and community forums for Jan. 15 and 16 to discuss the fate of Benton and Northwest Elementary schools after the buildings close and their classes are moved to the new intermediate school. The board also received an update on the building’s construction, which a representative for Nabholz Construction says is still “presently meeting our deadline” to open in time for the 2025-26 school year.