Why do you support the referendum?

Reasons to support the referendum:

Why? Merrill Elementary–speech pathologist working with occupational and physical therapy students out of old shower rooms; Hackett & Robinson–no art or music rooms; Todd-kitchen located in a mechanical room; Gaston–Interventions take place in hallways; Beloit Memorial–pool is leaking and cannot host conference swim meets; boilers/roof/windows need replacing at many schools.

Question? Would other districts in Wisconsin where property values are higher i.e. Middleton, Elm Grove, Brookfield, Nicolet allow their students to try and learn under a similar environment? No way. So why should our district have below average facilities? Under the equalization formula, the State of Wisconsin doesn’t think our students should have sub-standard facilities which is why our district will be reimbursed for 64% of the cost of the referendum by the state.

These improvements are not luxury items but necessities to have a conducive learning environment for our students. Give up several trips to the movie theater each year and let’s absorb the small increase in our property taxes. Remember, someone paid for decent facilities for us and now it is our turn.

Vote Yes on April 3.

Rick and Rita Barder - Beloit

Beloit 202o has publicly endorsed the proposed Beloit school referendum.
http://www.beloitcitycenter.org/

The Beloit City Council has unanimously endorsed the proposed Beloit School Referendum.

http://www.ci.beloit.wi.us/

NOTE: There was one who abstained from voting for reasons of not wanting to formally mix city & school district  involvements at this level.
This abstaining city council member though has personally endorsed the proposed Beloit School Referendum.

The Beloit Education Association has endorsed the proposed Beloit school referendum.

Blackhawk Bank has come out firmly in support of the proposed Beloit school referendum as being positive for the community.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

Bud Weiser Motors endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

My name is Paula Colling, and I am a life-long Beloit resident, a local business person, a landlord, and the mom to two Beloit Memorial High School Purple Knights. I am at heart a fiscal conservative, and that is one of the primary reasons I support this referendum. In an unprecedented era of low interest rates, by voting yes we have the chance to send a message of optimism and investment to current residents, to the kids, and to prospective parents and businesses who are looking at Beloit as a place to put down roots.

As a community we have lived through tough times, but they do not define us or defeat us; we are looking to the future. By making sure our schools are up to par, we have the chance to add to the momentum of economic development we see manifest as we drive through Beloit. We all have the power and the privilege to make a difference for the good, by voting YES on April 3rd .

~Paula Colling

Cornellier Superstore endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

Culver’s endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

My name is Heidi Eldred, I’ve lived here for the past twenty four years while raising three children who all attend or attended Morgan, Aldrich and Beloit Memorial High School. My mom’s family, the Carroll’s have lived here for four generations. While I’m not a teacher, there are many in my family, my grandmother, mother and brother are or have been teachers, so as you can see passion for educating the next generation of our community is a strong trait that runs in our family! It’s that passion that’s drives me to be a part of Imagine Beloit and to promote the April 3rd referendum.

I love this town, one reason is because something we’re really good at is coming together to make this a better place for ourselves and our children. Our downtown and riverfront are two prime examples of the positive things we’ve come together to do as a community. It’s my belief that we’re at an crossroads, in one direction we can empower ourselves to make a huge positive difference in our children’s educational future, the other direction is to let our schools continue to be crowded and deteriorating. It’s our choice when we vote on April 3rd. My hope is that you’ll vote yes.

~Heidi Eldred

Finley Dencker Buick-GMC endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

First National Bank & Trust endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

When I first heard about the 2012 Referendum, I was thinking that this couldn’t have come at a worst time. The economy is rough, nationally and locally, and someone wants MORE of my money? But, I decided to get informed, take responsibility for my surroundings, and make a GOOD decision.

So, I found the slides for the presentation, asked questions and then got involved. Since I have begun looking at the referendum, many things have helped solidify my decision. The timing is great, considering the BMHS referendum finishing, low interest rates and a real need for improved facilities in the School District of Beloit. Our kids have a great education and they just need the facilities to make it even better! Also, a lot of money has been invested into Beloit, and this project would help add to those investments by solidifying Beloit as a whole package.

We need things to draw people here and the School District of Beloit deserves to be one of Beloit’s greatest attractions!

~Jeremy Flannagan

My three children attended Beloit schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. My daughter also taught in the Beloit schools. My children received an excellent education in Beloit that well prepared them for college.

I support the April 3 referendum to ensure that excellent education continues in the Beloit schools. Beloit’s school buildings are old and are not able to meet current student needs. There are many half classrooms, which do not provide sufficient space for children to learn and explore. Teachers and volunteers work with groups of children in hallways because there is no other space.

Where there should be large grassy areas for running and playing, some schools have only small asphalt play areas. As a pediatrician with concerns about childhood obesity and physical fitness, I am excited that the referendum plans include bigger, greener play and athletic areas appropriate for active physical education and recess.

The referendum funds will allow for improvements at our schools that will benefit students, teachers, and the community. Better school facilities will attract more families to Beloit, which will help the economy to grow.

If you have not been inside a Beloit school recently, I urge you to walk the halls, to visit the classrooms, and to assess the conditions in which kids learn and teachers teach. It will be obvious to you that we need newer, better facilities in order to meet the needs of kids, teachers, and our entire community.

Vote “yes” on April 3 and support our schools so that educational excellence can continue in Beloit.

Jane Fossum - Beloit

The “Perfect Storm” is sometimes described as the forces of nature coming together at just the right time and just the right place to create an extraordinary change.

The school district of Beloit’s $70 million referendum to renovate our school district’s buildings comes at just the right time and we are in the right place to make this a positive and productive “Perfect Storm” for the community of Beloit.

Why Now? Perfect timing: The current bond debt is about to be paid off. The current rates of interest for new bond issues are at historic lows. Construction costs are extremely competitive driving costs down.

Cost saving: The reduction in the number of school buildings to maintain under the new configuration plans will save the district an estimated 2 million dollars each year.

Education design: The proposed reconfiguration of the elementary and middle schools to a PK3 and 4-8 setting has been well researched and proven to be the best for student achievement.

Community investments: The community of Beloit is poised to enter upon one of its greatest periods of growth in its history. We must be ready with our educational resources to support this growth.

All segments of the Beloit community should embrace this referendum to assure its passage.

The positive and productive “Perfect Storm” is about to settle into our community. “Let us not be found wanting.” And then, just imagine where Beloit can go from here.

Fran Fruzen - Beloit

Public school referendums — is there ever a “right time” or a “perfect plan”? I don’t believe so. I believe what the citizens of Beloit need to ask themselves is whether or not they want to have the schools that our children deserve.

As a homeowner in Beloit and as a retired school administrator, I’ve looked at the referendum information with great interest. Do I agree with everything in the plan? No, I don’t. However, I believe that overall it is a far-reaching, ambitious plan that would not only benefit the school district, but the community as a whole.

Was the plan rushed? No, I don’t believe that it was. In my years with the district, I served on two facilities committees that studied these issues in depth. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a “right time” back then either.

Should we wait for a “better” referendum? There is no such thing. Any new plans would have similar problems and controversies. Again, there is no such thing as a perfect plan. We’ve waited long enough to address the needs of these buildings. Our children deserve to be educated, not in converted bathrooms and janitor’s closets, but in better, more modern facilities.

I believe that as a community it is time to act. Beloit deserves to have school facilities of which we can be proud.

I urge you to vote “yes” on April 3.

Carol Fox - Beloit

GBCC board unanimously endorses referendum

http://www.greaterbeloitchamber.org/

The Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors adopted a resolution to support the 2012 School District of Beloit Referendum during its meeting held Thursday, March 8.

The referendum goes to voters in the City of Beloit on Tuesday, April 3.

Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce President Randall Upton said that the school referendum was strongly endorsed as an economic development initiative. According to Upton, “the board believes that now is the time for passage of a referendum which will take advantage of historically low bond interest rates, will benefit from the 64% level of state government reimbursement for capital costs associated with the referendum, and that will permit construction costs to be kept low.”

The business community in Beloit is responsible for 46% of the taxes raised for the School District of Beloit’s operation. “The business community believes that the investment in the vision of academic excellence for the City of Beloit is an investment that should be made,” Upton noted.

=======================================================
(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

Greater Beloit Economic Development Corporation endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

Beloit has been our chosen home for 44 years. Our four children graduated from Beloit Memorial High School, our daughter is a school counselor and we have two grandchildren who attend schools in the School District of Beloit.

We invested in our home and in the education of our children because we believe it adds to our family’s quality of life. And we invested our time in various organizations contributing to community life.

We will vote “yes” for the Beloit School Referendum on Tuesday, April 3rd, because ours is a community with challenges and needs to grow. New employers look at the quality of life in a community when they want to expand; quality of life includes schools, health care and recreation opportunities.

This is our opportunity to make a difference for our grandchildren and in the community we have embraced for over four decades.

Kenneth Gold, Sandra Gold - Beloit

There is not a lot I remember about my youth while growing up. I do remember the hard work my father scheduled for me and the many times we were together working on something. I especially remember him telling me that he was going to leave me an inheritance that would serve and reward me the rest of my life.

Boy, was I happy … thinking about the money, I didn’t know he had, that he was going to provide me.

Well. He didn’t leave me any money. But he did provide me the one thing that has served and rewarded me throughout my life. That was an opportunity for a quality education. This I have passed on to my daughters who both are now working successfully and I hope they will pass it on to their children.

We have committed educators, parents and community members working for our children’s educational needs. But based on my visits to our schools, the buildings have deteriorated and need to be brought back to standards that will serve our youth now and in the future. While the referendum may not answer all the needs, it does address the most pressing areas.

For the greatest gift we can provide our children, please join me in voting yes on the school referendum on April 3.

Lanier Gordon - Beloit

Hansen-Gravitt Funeral Home endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

“Investment” is defined, by Webster’s Dictionary, as the outlay of money for profit, with long-term capital gain as the objective.

Our school district, particularly the kids, will be the gain.

We are being asked to invest in the youth of this community by approving an outlay of money to improve the current educational status of the school district. One of the important aspects of the teaching/learning equation is the environment around you while performing your role in education.

Our school administration has evaluated our current status and has indicated a need for improvement. I know the careful and exact planning has been done, and it is not haphazard.

Some have indicated a lack of foresight in the planning. I cannot buy that at all. Our superintendent and board members have put many hours into this plan.

We must respond positively. The tax increase is minimal for the positive results it will bring. Our economy is slow but the results will be very fulfilling. In football terms, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

I retired after thirty-three years in the school district. My kids have all been given a great education. They are gone, but we have to provide the environment for a continued quality educational program.

Vote “yes” on April 3.

John Heineke - Beloit

Diane Hendricks (ABC Supply) has endorsed the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

I-90 Business Connection has endorsed the proposed Beloit school district referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

We as a community need to get out the vote to support the School District of Beloit referendum. Our city needs to grow.

The only way that we can grow and expand is with the infusion of the $70 million referendum to improve our schools for the future of our children, our district and our city. As a Realtor, I know when people choose where to live, they look for communities that offer them good schools, good places to raise their families, work and play.

Our state will pay $.64 of every dollar that we borrow. Where can you go anywhere and get a deal like that? For the average homeowner in the city it will cost less than the cost of going out for a hamburger meal a month to pay for this referendum.

The misinformation is unfortunate as well, such as the need for the auditorium roof to be added to the referendum. That is a regular maintenance item that must be put into the maintenance budget immediately and is an immediate responsibility of the district.

Those that are asking for the referendum to be turned down because we are not asking for a large enough referendum are also wrong. We need to pass this referendum now, to meet critical and immediate needs. After it passes, the School District will then have maintenance funds available to meet other needs.

Join me in voting yes for the growth of Beloit and for the referendum on election day.

Vicki Jentoft Johnson - Beloit

There are some voters who are concerned about grades 4-8 being placed in the same schools. The children are all going to be in separate areas for each grade level. The children will have different passing times, from my understanding, and even different entrances.

Many of these issues in this referendum are not new to Beloit. Schools have been closed and built before over Beloit’s history. Look at the old high school (now the high school apartments) and the “new” high school on the river. We have closed Lincoln, Roosevelt (Kolak Education Center), Parker, Strong and Waterman to name a few. This is called progress and is done to make the city grow and move into the future.

We have a City Manager and Council with vision that has pushed Beloit ahead with many projects to help us grow and move forward. Now it is the School District’s turn.

Join me in supporting the referendum and vote yes.

Glen Johnson - Beloit

Do you want a better school system now?

Do you want it at the lowest tax increase available?

Do you want to take advantage of money available from the state which reduces our local cost from $70 million to $25 million?

Do you want to bring new industry to the community as they see us providing a good school system?

Or do you want to face schools falling even further into disrepair?

Do you want to face the reduction of staff and programing that will have to take place if this referendum fails?

Do you want to pay even more in taxes in the future because problems were not dealt with now?

Do you want to lose the state funding available and see it go to another school district?

Critics say there has not been enough discussion or time given to this issue. School Boards have been discussing problems and costs of school repair and reconfiguring to provide efficiency for many years. There have been many public hearings and time at school board meetings when critics could have appeared. Why is a school Board member who has been involved with all this planning and voted for the plan at first, now working against it. Why didn’t critics speak up when they should have? What a waste of time and effort to appear after so many have worked for so long to find the right plan, at the right time and at the right price.

We are at a moment in time when because of the bond situation and interest rates, we can not only take care of maintenance problems, but, also move forward in developing a total school plan. We can benefit from the increased efficiency by using money saved to take care of other problems or develop new programs.

Vote yes.

Martin and Rita Kades - Beloit

I’m Rick McGrath. And while I consider our family relative newcomers to Beloit (6 yrs) we’re convinced we moved in at an opportune time. All indications seem to suggest Beloit is on the rise. We live, work and volunteer in town and have five children spread across four different schools within the district. While we’ve been happy with the quality of education made available to our children we do recognize three fundamental realities regarding the proposed referendum.

• The attractiveness of our community, like most communities to employers, employees and young families considering where to work and live is largely tied to the strength of our schools and by extension the success of our children. Stronger schools, increased student performance and yes… facilities do in fact attract more of all of these; employers, resident employees and job creation. Strong schools are among the best economic engines for a community. Investment in our education infrastructure contains a multiplier that benefits the entire community.

• Unless we’re willing to continue to strengthen the attractiveness of the Beloit school system in terms of programming, performance and yes, facilities those taking jobs in Beloit will choose to live elsewhere. I want the hard won job creation in Beloit to go to those who choose to live here as well.

• The third reality, as I see it is that the reverse is also true. Communities that have a pattern of not-my-problem, least-cost disinvestment in their communities schools discourage job creation and economic development. Who’d want to build their business there, reside there or move there?

Both investment and disinvestment have a tendency to perpetuate their course and build upon themselves, either up or down. For me, I choose up.

Frankly, my greatest fears are that some may not take the time to come out, ask their questions directly and satisfy their need to know. We’re confident that armed with full, direct information folks will recognize what an opportunity we have for growth. My opinion, if this referendum is voted down in the hopes that a later more ambitious referendum would be accepted is high-stakes at best and risks all of us ending up with nothing. That would be a terrible shame for our community.

We support the referendum and hope you will too.
~Rick McGrath, Ana Kelly

Let me start out saying I know times are tough right now, so I’m sure your first reaction would be to decline the $70 million referendum for the Beloit School District this April, but I hope everyone looks over this referendum and understands this money is needed to update many old buildings and reorganize the current “look” of the district.

For most taxpayers, this referendum would be less than $10/month, which equals an order at McDonald’s, so think about it that way. It’s actually kind of embarrasing that Beloit Memorial has a pool that is not working and their tennis courts have needed an update for many years. If we want to continue to attract students to the district, we need to provide the students with the buildings and curricula to exceed expectations.

Please do not allow Beloit School District to become another Milwaukee School District or Racine. There has been such great improvements at BMHS over the last couple years, let’s continue to support the students in Beloit and provide each of them with the tools to succeed.

Gregg Melby - Milwaukee

Papa Murphy’s Pizza endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

The Rock Restaurant endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

The Beloit School District is well on the way to getting itself on the map again! There are great things going on and the advantages that passing this referendum will bring to our students, teachers and community are very exciting.

In order to learn the details of the referendum package for the first time, I attended a Board of Education meeting. Once I heard the facts, there was no question I would be fully in support of the plan. The time is right! With the interest rates low, our debt from the 1994 referendum rolling off, and the fact that the state will return 64 cents on every one of the $70 million dollars – we are getting a huge bargain!

For a mere $5.63 a month, the children of Beloit will ben
efit from renovations made to what will become six newly renovated K4-3rd grade buildings; a new 4th-8th intermediate school, a newly renovated 4th-8th building and a fitness center, pool and tennis courts for the Phy-Ed department at BMHS. Indirectly, the two current middle schools will benefit by the $2 million dollars in savings the district will incur in its operating budget because of the referendum. Our schools will become learning centers our children and community can be proud of.

That pride will benefit our community and its citizens in many intangibles ways as well. Property values will increase. Our city will become more attractive to outside businesses. People will choose to relocate and to stay in Beloit! But the referendum is first and foremost about the children. I believe they deserve this!

~Sarah Roegner

Stateline Boys & Girls Club endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

Stateline Family YMCA endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

Carla Swain (Hendricks-Holding Co.) endorses the proposed Beloit school referendum.

(Beloit employers pay a full 46% of Beloit tax for this education referendum)

State reimburses District $45 million or 64% of the bond issue*
Beloit tax payers pay only $25 million

Business 46%

Residential 54% (aprox. $13.5 million)

*based on average home value in Beloit & estimated interest rate of 3.5%

I would like to voice my support for the upcoming school referendum vote on April 3.

First and foremost, my support is based on my concern for academics in Beloit. Across the country, middle schools are having difficulties. I believe the new referendum offers positive advantages. I favor the alignment of 4k-3 and 4th-8th grade for several reasons. This plan offers smaller class sizes, which is a huge plus. There are many studies supporting a variety of configurations for school alignment. But in the end, common sense must prevail. Smaller class sizes would capture and help more at risk and struggling students.

Also, being in one building longer would hopefully allow more continuity to the help and more parental involvement. Some are concerned about the large age range in each school. Let us compare to Turner Schools, who, as far as I know, have no major issues with 6th-12th grade being in the same physical building. It can be done safely with proper designs in place.

Secondly, we need to continue to provide state of the art and up to date facilities for all levels. The outside needs to match and reflect what is going on inside. We have excellent positive changes going on inside our schools. There are many excellent teachers and courses available. In particular, our high school AP classes are excellent and comparable to any in the state. BMHS is a Big 8 school and needs to have comparable classes and facilities in line with other Big 8 schools. The new pool and tennis courts are part of the total picture of a reputable Big 8 school.

New facilities would impact positively on newcomers looking to relocate and comparing their options. This is an investment for the entire community.

Vote yes.

Sara Zibert