AS MOST EVERYONE IN BELOIT KNOWS,
the district ran a bond issue in April 2024 - and the referendum did not pass. We took immediate action to determine why the issue failed and what steps needed to be taken for a new referendum that would more closely match our patrons' needs.
Using funding primarily from donations, we hired a public relations firm that specializes in school district referendums to conduct research to learn where we fell short, what our patrons want, and how we might deliver.
HERE'S WHAT TRANSPIRED.
WE HEARD YOU
WE SCALED BACK
WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY
While we thought we were being transparent with the last referendum, we heard some patrons thought we were hiding critical facts. We are happy to address any relevant questions regarding this referendum and have started that process by developing a robust Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section for our website.
WE BELIEVE IN BENEFITS TO ALL
Our new efforts are focused on projects for all Beloit patrons that enhance the image and brand of both Beloit Schools and the City of Beloit. We believe a strong public school district is the cornerstone of small towns, and we take seriously our obligation to provide students and patrons with amenities that are comparable to surrounding districts.
We care deeply about the City of Beloit and want what is best for all its citizens. We deliberately chose projects we believe will provide the most benefit to the city as well as the students.
An example is the new Ag Center. When we heard you say you thought our proposal was too expensive and our scope too large, went into high gear to revamp our offering.
We visited Marysville USD 364 and Blue Valley USD 384 to see their Ag C enters and speak to their leadership teams.
While the Marysville USD 364 Ag Center is more extravagant than what we need for Beloit, we believe the Blue Valley USD 384 Ag Center closely matches what we would like to see in Beloit.
Working with a compilation of local contractors and our architect, we have conceptualized an Ag Center based upon USD 384's Ag Center. It will cost Beloit Schools $3.9 million, using current material costs, for us to spec a similar facility in our district.
This will be an Ag Center that benefits the entire community.
IT IS OUR FONDEST WISH
It is our fondest wish that this election will move forward without the negativity we all witnessed in the last election. To that end, we pledge to run an informational campaign. We have tried to address all relevant concerns in our FAQs section, and we will respond to relevant questions via email - not on social media.
We invite everyone in Beloit to join us in this effort, as we feel we now have a proposal that addresses the concerns from the last referendum.
Click here to read the Letter To The Community from USD 273 Superintendent, Jeff Travis.
