2. Where We Were…
A School District not respected Academically
Didn’t make AYP (Annual Yearly Progress)
One of the lowest achieving districts in the state
On the State Watch List
High Achievement Gap
Trouble Recruiting Top Employees
Budget
Defunding of education; Cut taxes 17 of last 20 years; School Reconfiguration
Old Buildings
• 8 buildings built before 1928
• Newest building built: 1965
• Last major improvements: 1994
• Non-functional pool: 1968
• Deteriorating facilities
A community not respected
3. Where We Are… Success Breeds Success
•Off the State Watch List for two years
•Achieved the Best Academic Results in Beloit History!
•Posted some of the Best Academic Gains in the State!
•Identified by the WI Center for Educational Research (UW-Madison WCER)
as the only value-added growth district in BOTH reading and math
•National AP Honor Roll, 1 of 367
•National Blue Ribbon, Gaston, 1 of 305
•National GPA award, Girls Swim, 20th / Boys Swim 6th
•Increased Enrollment by 100+
•National Jazz Competition, top 15
•RTI program receiving state and national attention
•Recognized by the State Superintendent many times
•Visits from State, National and now International Schools and Professors to
explore “how we are doing it?”
•Renovations throughout the Community
Downtown Area
Riverfront
4. Were Are We Going…
“VISION”
School District of Beloit – Strategic Plan “2010”
“The mission of the School District of Beloit, committed to excellence and
strengthened and enriched by diversity, is to prepare each student to
compete, contribute and thrive as an admirable citizen in a rapidly changing
world by engaging students in a wide variety of high quality, relevant
programs in partnership with families, schools and the stateline community.”
Specific Result 6: Complete a design and implementation timeline to reduce
the number of district buildings and expand and maximize utilization of
remaining buildings.
1. Select a programming model to use in the renovation of our school buildings
(i.e., K-2/3-5, K-8, Magnet/Charter).
2. Determine building level facility and programming needs for the model
selected.
3. Determine schools to be closed and schools to be expanded or renovated
and develop budget for same, including funding source.
5. A Quick History Lesson…
The Board’s Three Questions
1. What do we need to do? (Needed Facility Upgrades)
2. What is best educationally? (Best configuration for education)
3. What would be the dream?
Administrative team work
1. Administrative team reviewed work done over last 14 years
2. Had Buildings and Grounds update all building needs
3. Met with administrative advisory team to determine educational
configuration based on research
4. Met with All – Administrative Team (August 2011)
5. Met 45 times with citizen and school groups to gather input
6. Updated board and gathered their input during the process
7. Board decided to cap referendum at $70 Million
8. Decided on Final Plan December 6th with approval of board to move
forward.
9. Voted on unanimously by Board December 20, 2011 to move to
referendum.
6. The Educational Configuration for Success
Six Primary Buildings PK – 3
Emphasis on lower class sizes (SAGE Funding)
More parent involvement / sustained relationships
Fewer Transitions
Consolidating Resources
Learn to Read
More and larger classrooms for consolidation/team teaching
Create intervention rooms
Increased Collaboration
More gym space
Separate Art & Music Rooms
Physical Changes
Roofing, Security Upgrade, Boiler Systems/HVAC, Parking/Drop off,
Building Envelope, Playgrounds, Needed Furnishings & Technology
7. The Educational Configuration for Success
Four Intermediate Schools grades 4 – 8
Continue successful educational practices
Get rid of the middle schools / change culture / Smaller
Learning Communities
“Elemiddle” approach
Increased Collaboration and Interventions
More parent involvement / sustained relationships
Fewer Transitions
Separate wings for 4,5,6 and 7,8
Separate entrances/pickup and drop off areas
More opportunities for students
Shared spaces for:
Music, Art & Phy Ed
Library Media
8. The High School
New 8 lane pool
Conference and Sectional meets - Bleachers for 500 + people at pool
level
Locker rooms male and female - All mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing
Community Changing Room - Pool Room Heating and Ventilation
New 8 court tennis
Tear up existing Tennis Courts - Relocate west of student parking
8 tennis courts complex - Tournaments
Life Center
New equipment relocated from class rooms
Level playing field for Big 8 athletics
Relocate to existing pool area
Current weight room transformed to wrestling and/or dance or yoga studio
Fight childhood obesity
Lower health care costs of district employees
Houses the $750,000 of fitness equipment supplied by grant
9. “The Perfect Storm”
• 1994 bonds maturing in 2012
• Lowest interest rates in history
• Competitive construction industry driving costs down
with low material and labor costs.
• 64% state reimbursement
• Referendum reconfiguration saves $2.3 Million a year
10. 2012-2013 Tax Impact
On a $70 Million Dollar Referendum
Under Current Funding Aid Formula
Estimated Interest at 3.5%
Home Value Annual Cost Monthly Cost
$75,000* $ 67.50 $5.63
State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million
Business 46%
Residential 54%
*Average home value in the city of Beloit
11. Referendum versus Operating Cost
Referendum is a stand-alone loan fund
Must be for capital improvements only
Not used for operating budget or salaries
How does 64% Reimbursement work?
When a School District borrows referendum money, the funds are not
spent all at once. The reimbursement from the State (64%) is given back
after the year referendum money is spent, after being verified. That’s right,
every referendum dollar spent has to be verified by the State. That money
cannot go to salaries, materials or anything beyond District referendum
debt payment. When the 64% is reimbursed to us, we add that to the 36%
that is covered by local taxpayers, and the amounts together make up our
debt payments: $1.75 Million per year.
Yearly Operating budget is effected only by the savings incurred by
improvements
Helps offset the budget challenges we will continue to face due to
decreasing funding
12. Economic Development of our Community
Schools are one of the most important
reasons for business start-ups and expansion
More new employees stay in Beloit
Increased community pride
Local construction jobs
Higher property values
Outside tourism revenue produced by visiting
spectators of large swim meets and tennis
tournaments
Improved image to non-Beloiters
Continue trend of Beloit improvements
$45 million in outside investment
13. Years of Facilities Studies,
Research into the needs of the District,
Community-based Strategic Plan,
Multiple meetings with Architects (Bray came to Beloit
over 55 times),
Over 45 input sessions before referendum approved by
Board , and
Endless meetings since January between staff, parents,
community, city engineers, bus company, finance
experts
Have led to the following
plans…
28. ENDORSEMENTS
Chamber of Commerce: ENDORSED
GBEDC: ENDORSED
City Council: ENDORSED
Beloit 20/20 ENDORSED
Hendrick’s Corporation ENDORSED
I-90 Business Association ENDORSED
Beloit Teachers ENDORSED
29. Current Projects
McNeel and Aldrich Boilers being replaced now.
Roofs at McNeel and Aldrich scheduled to start
new roofs this summer.
Wright roof completely being replaced now.
BMHS Fine Arts roof completely being replaced
now with new smoke hatch.
30. Memorandum
Date: March 16, 2012
To: Janelle Marotz, Business Director, School District of Beloit
From: Jerry Landmark, Director, School Finance Team
Re: 2011-12 Revenue Limit Energy Exemption
This is in response to your request for a statement indicating boiler projects
could still be considered for the revenue limit energy exemption if the vendor
was changed.
The department is not involved in the selection or retention of a particular
vendor to complete the projects. Thus, it is a local decision if the district decides
to change vendors during the project. The department’s role is to verify that the
expenditures were made in an appropriate manner. This is done as part of the
independent financial audit that the district provides to the department each
year.
Thus, if you meet all the requirements of the project from your original proposal
for boilers under the guidelines of the revenue limit energy exemption, we would
approve this project.
31. Future Use of District-Owned
Buildings
Buildings Available for Possible Uses
Retirement or District Office
Repurposing: Charter School
(RCAA)
Royce
Learning Academy
McLenegan
Sale to outside party
Kolak
Morgan
Wright
Burdge
