Beloit school and business leaders testified at the State Capitol today in support of legislation that will help low property value school districts maintain and improve their facilities.  Senate Bill 251 was introduced by Sen. Tim Cullen.

 

If enacted, Senate Bill 251 would give a bump in state aid to school districts whose property value per student is less than half the statewide average.  Eight Wisconsin school districts qualify.  Beloit has the lowest per-student property value of all the school districts in the state.

 

“After the low property value districts such as Beloit take care of their academic obligations to student achievement, as measured by personnel and programs, there is little financial wherewithal left to fix leaky roofs and cracking concrete,” testified Randall Upton, president of the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber has endorsed the bill.

 

“Our endorsement of this legislation, which would have an impact on not only the School District of Beloit but other districts in the state as well, shows our commitment to educational opportunity for all.  We endorse this legislation in recognition that a community’s educational attainment level and the supply of higher-skilled labor are big drivers of its economic success,” Upton said.

 

Cullen testified that for low property value school districts, getting building referenda passed is very difficult.  SB 251 would reduce the share of bonding debt service costs that Beloit property taxpayers bear from 35 percent to 10 percent, he said.

 

Beloit School Superintendent Steve McNeal noted that the district’s newest building was built in 1978.

 

“Our students are often attending overcrowded classrooms, portable classrooms, and schools with other issues,” McNeal said.  Among those issues are elementary schools doing food preparation in storage closets and mechanical rooms, resulting in citations from Rock County Public Health.

 

McNeal noted that the district has cut more than $20 million from its budget over the past four years.  Scarce resources are devoted to classroom achievement and basic building maintenance, he said.

 

The Beloit School Board will vote Tuesday on whether to hold an April referendum vote on issuing $70 million worth of bonds for building projects, reconfiguration and consolidation.  McNeal said the district expects to save $4 million a year in costs of staff, energy and other resources.

 

School Board Chair Shannon Scharmer noted that the district does a “phenomenal” job with its limited resources and the bill will provide the boost the district needs to address its building challenges.

 

“This is about providing a building that has four walls, windows and heat.  Many of our students are wearing jackets in the classroom because our boilers can’t keep up. We have made the operational cuts. We have patched together buildings. We are at the point where we can no longer patch,” Scharmer said.