school district-referendum-presentation-3-30
TRANSCRIPT
March 27, 2012
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� BudgetBudget
� 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
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•National GPA award, Girls Swim, 20 / Boys Swim 6
•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
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 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.
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 work1. Administrative team reviewed work done over last 14 years2. Had Buildings and Grounds update all building needs 2. Had Buildings and Grounds update all building needs 3. Met with administrative advisory team to determine educational
configuration based on research4. Met with All – Administrative Team (August 2011)5. Met 45 times with citizen and school groups to gather input6. Updated board and gathered their input during the process7. Board decided to cap referendum at $70 Million8. 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.
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� 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
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� 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
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� 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
“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• 64% state reimbursement
• Referendum reconfiguration saves $2.3 Million a year
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$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
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 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
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 � 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
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…
Todd - $6.0M
Merrill - 4.4 Million
Robinson – 5.6 Million
Converse – 5.6 Million
Hackett – 5.1 Million
Gaston 4.2 Million
New/renovated Cunningham – 16 Million
New SE Intermediate School – 16 Million
Across from Existing Morgan
High School – 7 million
McNeel and Aldrich
Renovations
5-Year Plan5-Year Plan
McNeel Intermediate School
Renovations from District Budget
McNeel Intermediate School
Renovations from District Budget
Aldrich Intermediate School
Renovations from District Budget
Aldrich Intermediate School
Renovations from District Budget
ENDORSEMENTS� Chamber of Commerce: ENDORSED
� GBEDC: ENDORSED
� City Council: ENDORSED
Beloit 20/20 ENDORSED� Beloit 20/20 ENDORSED
� Hendrick’s Corporation ENDORSED
� I-90 Business Association ENDORSED
� Beloit Teachers ENDORSED
Current Projects
� McNeel and Aldrich Boilers being replaced now.
� Roofs at McNeel and Aldrich scheduled to start new roofs this summer.new roofs this summer.
� Wright roof completely being replaced now.
� BMHS Fine Arts roof completely being replaced now with new smoke hatch.
MemorandumDate: March 16, 2012
To: Janelle Marotz, Business Director, School District of BeloitFrom: Jerry Landmark, Director, School Finance TeamRe: 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. 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.
Future Use of District-Owned
Buildings� Buildings Available for
Retirement or Repurposing:
� Royce
� Possible Uses
� District Office
� Charter School (RCAA)
� Royce
� McLenegan
� Kolak
� Morgan
� Wright
� Burdge
(RCAA)
� Learning Academy
� Sale to outside party