Is it Really Just a Budget Issue?

By Hayden Murry

Co-Managing Editor

October 2022

The School District of Beloit tends to get the short end of the stick. Surrounding cities, towns, and communities often associate our district with violence, poor performance, and more recently, fiscal irresponsibility. The recent developments of a budget crisis described to us by Interim Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Anderson, have left many questioning how we got through this entire debacle.

While pointing fingers and placing blame upon our past and current leaders of the district is the route many people take. I, like Dr. Anderson stated at a September School Board meeting, am more concerned with how we will overcome this seemingly insurmountable task of managing a near six-million-dollar deficit.

This number has the potential to decrease based on the amount of student aid given by the Department of Public Instruction.

The district was also able to slim down this deficit from $10.5 million to $5,997,669 since the 2021 school year with the help of Coronavirus Relief Funds and other funds provided by the Wisconsin State government.

Although the numbers seem quite frightening for a school district, and having any deficit is cause for concern, a solution brought forth by Dr. Anderson may have us on the right track to recover.

In this proposed plan, the district would essentially rely on an increase of funding per student as a result of a budget increase proposed by Governor Evers and State Superintendent Jill Underly.

The proposed budget, which is only applicable if Evers wins re-election in this upcoming midterm, would increase the revenue limit per student at $350 for the next school year, and $650 for the next.

There are also ideas of condensing schools on the intermediate level, and evaluating staff positions on their need and efficacy if left vacant. These sensible, fiscally conservative policies would allow our budget to have an increase of $0.

Despite the proposed solution, many, like myself, are concerned if these budget initiatives will actually improve our current standing, as they seem to be limited.

There is also unease on the impacts these proposed ideas will have on staff and students. In his October 13 blog, the Interim Superintendent assures staff that their jobs are not in jeopardy, which especially on the teaching level would be arbitrary with the current teacher shortage.

However, certain jobs at the administrative level arguably overlap and can be condensed when the opportunity presents itself.

The prospect of condensing the intermediate schools also poses many questions. On one hand, there will be less staff and operations costs for the district. Even better, it might even offer a remedy to the current music teacher shortage in the West Side Schools.

However, this solution would pose many challenges with transportation, and an entire renovation or elimination of the intermediate system implemented approximately 13 years ago.

While this plan has been widely unpopular amongst parents, teachers, and students especially at the time of the switch towards this model, the district has invested hundreds, thousands, possibly even millions in new buildings and renovations. Would these colossal investments be all for nothing? Would the closure and selling of some properties provide the district with financial security?

We don’t want to “play the blame game”, as doing such would pose no benefit for anyone. We as a district and community should reflect on the climate that got us here. In my K-12 experience, the district has gone through countless superintendents, each with their own vision for Beloit. This constant instability has only hindered the proper implementation of such plans, and possibly resulted in this sudden budget crisis we are facing.

While our solution right now is enacting budget cuts, there has to be a more broad, over arching change for this district to thrive. The one thing we have been consistent in Beloit is our lack of consistency in leadership, and hopefully soon, with the hiring of our new superintendent, Dr. Willie Garrison II. Our district is in need of consistent tender care to survive and thrive.