[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6193134,"mediaKeyId","3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6","parentId",3868225,"title","Board hears rising discipline numbers, authorizes expulsion officer and renews independent hearing officer","audioSeconds",2105,"startMs",7090000,"endMs",9195000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6&start=7090&end=9195","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6/thumbnail_7090000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6193134/Wisconsin/Board-hears-rising-discipline-numbers-authorizes-expulsion-officer-and-renews-independent-hearing-officer","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193134-ac4b29fd62c478a6c7199c719a349c6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688350&Signature=bOyR3zLLiey5X-1jmopK9UosZlMg~LDyF0TV2CHqR-d7fZSZBM5dOyQOA2IajL34MGkK6oPNcEuu-M8RRWvDh8M1hnadg7UY5U2h6Qff2ZGojYHEzpLgDc61QO4ir8WpSlaURVeGJjF~iGiC0Bv9X7058bK~CXpsMzu7FywzFnYmiMtv-IHh2Ylrde9ebmnBQeJ5lqc2~BUk-Z6kFWsBp7IdOihbwYL~GjSUQo7OraxKs2jMqX~aIFOUEenrFK-lnw~tEtjjExbZXy6wp4Me5MD8bIMcgNHeOTeMesujIe5HgQNjJYOOo953YXpxb04GdQCENTDU9Ss2hcRSNhsKuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Beloit School District, WI","date","2025-06-19T20:39:55.327Z","article","Melissa Beavers, executive director of pupil services, and Eric Weir, director of special education and student services, presented discipline data to the full board on June 17 showing increases in reported office discipline referrals, suspensions and pre‑expulsion activity.

Beavers said the district’s office discipline referrals doubled over a four‑year span, rising from 4,054 to 8,227. \"This increase... could speak to both a rise in reported behavior incidents and or improved documentation practices across our buildings,\" she said, urging caution in interpretation but noting the operational implications for schools.

Out of school suspensions and hearings: Beavers reported an upward trend in out‑of‑school suspensions over the last two years and said pre‑expulsion hearing requests had fallen from 124 to 32 in one multi‑year window before rising again to 73 in the current year; the number of expulsions recommended or upheld fluctuated, with a low of two in an earlier year and a return to 10 this year.

Top offenses and concerns: Weir said the largest single category of referrals remains tardiness/absence/truancy, and the next highest category was physical aggression. He summarized district actions taken to address behavior: administrative calibration, revised code‑of‑conduct language, weekly data clean‑ups, de‑escalation training, improved linked‑team (MLSS) processes and training for secretaries to run weekly reports so data are more accurate.

Board action: later in the meeting the board voted 5–2 to authorize a board expulsion officer to determine pupil expulsions under Wisconsin Statute 120.13(e)(1) for the 2025–26 year, a change proponents said expedites the hearing process while opponents raised concerns about due process and added cost. The exact roll‑call vote was 5 in favor, 2 opposed.

Independent hearing officer renewal: the board also renewed the district’s independent hearing officer appointment for attorney Mark Kaposius for 2025–26; that motion passed by the same 5–2 margin. Some board members publicly objected to using an independent hearing officer and noted the hourly cost and a belief that the board itself should hear expulsions. \"We are making decisions that we are ultimately responsible for at greater cost to the district, with less information,\" Board Member Amy Levy said, opposing the expulsion officer arrangement.

Why it matters: the discipline data indicate growing behavior and attendance‑related incidents that affect instruction and school climate; board decisions on how expulsions are heard affect the district’s legal posture, costs and transparency of decision making.

Next steps: staff said they will continue implementing calibration and training steps, refine the code of conduct language and bring additional discipline‑policy administrative guidance back to the policy committee for review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TLE & Pupil Services Committee; Regular Board Meeting - 6/17/2025 (5:00 p.m.)","oneSentenceSummary","District officials reported doubled office‑discipline referrals and increases in out‑of‑school suspensions; the board later authorized a board expulsion officer and renewed the district's independent hearing officer amid debate about process and cost.","taxTitle","Beloit School District, School Districts, Wisconsin","taxId",38334,"location","Wisconsin","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193139,"Beloit reviews Act 20 literacy work; teachers completed required 'sciences of reading' training, district fell short of one reading goal",907,2746000,3653000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6&start=2746&end=3653","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6/thumbnail_2746000.jpg","/articles/6193139/Wisconsin/Beloit-reviews-Act-20-literacy-work-teachers-completed-required-sciences-of-reading-training-district-fell-short-of-one-reading-goal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193139-84a43220090efd6915f12cdc7e643534/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688350&Signature=Y9tMrTJzJKrGvquV9gd7oKBLrVmCv~vJ~vMW7JpD0UoGrTknJRrLhCoFgJK~gZEQ~n9KkeciDanMTmT8pVQcqeVItZo~mwblc0VfN2CS1Mac87Rz1Y~ssYjq2Y10nO2OZwD9XNRpPeVVFCvZ62t9~nNAqagDRJphVpt0klHPgtMgROtLGEiCP8R90OGIKL5UP-uC-cSsXZLLgpRZkbzA2PFqYFCHgOO1gybDFiUyKC7rU-USigcEatJH1qJscLSgcn3o83ht9NVljkmWDIl8nFt6CP87fipq-kOY7qsK6o3WfOOIhXxYtp1UxBMlHjwWXNOCoXCoDh~9g6E4ELqxtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District leaders told the board on June 17 that Beloit has implemented components of Wisconsin’s Act 20 literacy law this school year and described gains and remaining gaps.

Dr. Garrison and instructional leaders summarized a package of work that included adoption of American Reading Company (ARC) materials, district‑wide professional learning in foundational skills aligned with the \"sciences of reading,\" and creation of required remediation and assessment plans. The district reported that 96.3 percent of professional educators completed the state‑approved foundational skills modules and a summative assessment the district selected — the district had required training for preK through grade 5 even though the statute’s minimum applies through third grade.

Assessments and results: staff said the district administers a universal screener (oral reading fluency/ORF) and adopted diagnostic and progress monitoring tools and an assessment calendar. The district reported growth in some measures: MAP math proficiency increased by four percentage points year‑over‑year and MAP rank scores improved, and overall reading proficiency rose by four percentage points to 38 percent districtwide (the district had set a goal of 41 percent on IRLA/benchmarks and said it fell short).

Instructional detail and next steps: leaders described actions to strengthen instruction and interventions — coaching cycles, progress‑monitoring via the Next Path platform, expanded Lexia Core5 licensure for students with reading plans, and continued professional development. Kindergarten growth on district reading benchmarks averaged 0.6 of a year's growth from fall to spring, a gap that district instructional staff said they will examine with kindergarten teachers to identify causes and possible changes to interventions.

Why it matters: Act 20 sets statutory expectations for screening, remediation and teacher training; the district reported major compliance steps completed and signaled work ahead to improve outcomes. District staff said standards and report‑card frameworks are changing at the state level and that the district will continue to calibrate expectations and intervention plans.","District leaders reported implementation steps for Wisconsin Act 20 literacy requirements, including adoption of American Reading Company materials, teacher training completion and mixed outcomes on benchmarks and fluency screeners.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193144,"Board committee reviews proposal to award high‑school credit for Spanish proficiency",459,1989000,2448000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6&start=1989&end=2448","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6/thumbnail_1989000.jpg","/articles/6193144/Wisconsin/Board-committee-reviews-proposal-to-award-highschool-credit-for-Spanish-proficiency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193144-c6ac004965a32a72ccb4e32e7d2dc120/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688350&Signature=Il80~MAEDzu5GLo9a7Rz66Hal~wkhs7AkBxd18gwxglqvMKLv69SrobpIfC8eutu3K-tm1vH0Yj24LCO5ecYYbitmnZ2Zo78rsHFzDwoPblVKewi3m1hyL5~ElhHmIZ~7BHeV2LH1n7LrRR7pe8Jl03mep5tw9ZJI7hFP-EGbZfADgnhUhp0pUQV~pS9KzfFYDrPp8KPjq1KzzUmGhE23kjo2MW9ZxUGZV-11Rdw7yYN7w5Z9V8dU1tRcIHrLameEp9MZ04OzXGi9~qOYeS8Le6s0B16x35aoDdZVgeS96Eday6P5z8CsUymrJqSgLpUgYAj5lWimMtC9r5c28fEHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Teaching, Learning, Equity and Pupil Services committee reviewed a proposed policy on June 17 that would allow Beloit School District high‑school credits to be awarded for demonstrated Spanish proficiency, using the ACTFL assessment or a portfolio already aligned to the district's seal of biliteracy process.

Teresa Moritek, presenting alongside Dr. Anthony Bosco, said the policy aims to address an equity gap for students who complete dual‑language immersion (DLI) programming through eighth grade and enter high school with higher Spanish proficiency but without the standard Spanish I/II credit pathway. \"We're really trying to bridge an equity gap that we see, for our DLI students coming out of our K‑8 program,\" Bosco said, explaining that middle‑school DLI students may have higher proficiency but not the formal credits.

Proposal details: under the drafted criteria, a student who earns a course grade of B or higher and demonstrates the required proficiency level on the ACTFL assessment would be awarded credit for Spanish courses, including retroactive credit for prior course levels. Moritek said the district is leaning toward using the standardized ACTFL assessment — the same instrument used in the district’s seal of biliteracy process — because it avoids extra requirements for teachers.

Board discussion touched on implementation questions, including whether retroactive credits would affect GPA and how awarded credits would appear on transcripts. Staff said the retroactive credits would likely be non‑GPA‑bearing while the credit for the course the student actually takes would count toward GPA, and that transcript labeling could be clarified in policy language. The committee also discussed whether the policy could be extended to other languages in the future and noted ACTFL assessments exist for languages beyond Spanish but course offerings would limit feasibility for some languages.

Next steps: staff asked for committee feedback; the policy was presented for reaction and is expected to be revised and routed to the policy committee for placement on a future agenda. No final board vote took place at the committee meeting.","District staff presented a proposed policy allowing students to earn high‑school credit for demonstrated Spanish proficiency via ACTFL assessment or portfolio, intended to level credits for students from dual‑language immersion (DLI) programs and newcomers.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193149,"Beloit School District secures multiple grants for substance‑use prevention, recovery planning, health services and safety kits",330,1346000,1676000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6&start=1346&end=1676","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6/thumbnail_1346000.jpg","/articles/6193149/Wisconsin/Beloit-School-District-secures-multiple-grants-for-substanceuse-prevention-recovery-planning-health-services-and-safety-kits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193149-1cb6898e18529ee09a257ef2ac6abe00/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688350&Signature=dG-SXe1oNDGoSugfjwn5TJ8-oivXLNoDxGZlEWosTKWxp2m5AS38qZBss0XLYfohfr5SZWS-deWTLFrli6EWv8iosplWh4J07DhbfQQrpSwC-hA5hSKGRjnUm0bmZ3TGpRwqSHIyIia33P7stkRWO7yNofTbBY3uvmnoJM5ofGOtysciJYOfpH7P9Kvh-s45Rzwy5vFGP1ZLSMPtmM6whrJMTzuy247Fb4UFsTv3oz-Bbma-V9zzDs-pOdodKeMiu~cZRR8z6-4mtoU38PA1fODI-TH0cX4aFSJ5Hh4xBqKindQgQkGHR0eFh1RTVP2rC9SbsCrukvcWFkXidd~66A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pupil services staff presented a summary of grants awarded or applied for in 2024–25, saying the funds will support family‑engaged prevention work, planning for a recovery high school, nursing access and in‑school emergency care.

Melissa Beavers, who introduced the district’s pupil services update on June 17, said the district received a $50,000 opioid prevention grant from the state Department of Public Instruction to fund the Strengthening Families program, an evidence‑based family program that pairs parent lessons with youth social‑emotional learning and joint family practice time. \"It's a family based program with parent and youth lessons taught simultaneously,\" Beavers said; the district expects to train about 20 staff as facilitators and launch sessions in September or October.

Recovery high school planning: Beavers and Eric Weir said the district received a $75,000 planning grant under Wisconsin Act 72 to work with the Association of Recovery Schools on developing a recovery high school model. The district also applied for a second planning round ($100,000) and anticipates later summer award notices.

Other awards and purchases: Ryan Turner, district safety and security coordinator, said a $1,800 community grant funded 10 Stop the Bleed kits to be installed across district buildings with staff training planned for the fall. Michelle Louis, director of school health, described a tele‑nursing arrangement with Bellin Health to provide remote nursing access and a stock short‑acting bronchodilator program funded by a separate award to keep rescue inhalers available in school health offices.

Smaller awards and pending applications: Beavers said a $600 Stateline Community Foundation grant will underwrite postsecondary site visits for students with disabilities. The district also applied for a state alcohol and other drug abuse grant (up to $50,000 contingent on the biennial budget) and a $37,955 transition readiness grant to fund driver’s education and licensing fees for up to 30 students with IEPs; that award notification was expected in July. Beavers corrected a previously misstated date and said the anticipated award notification for the transition readiness grant is July 2025.

Why it matters: district staff tied the grants to aims discussed elsewhere at the meeting — supporting transitions for students with disabilities, expanding on‑site health services to keep students in class, and preparing a recovery pathway that would allow students with substance‑use needs to remain in school while receiving intensive supports.

Next steps: staff plan to train 20 strengthening families facilitators in August, install Stop the Bleed kits over the summer, launch tele‑nursing and stocking inhalers with medical advisor protocols, and continue planning for the recovery school and transition programming pending grant awards.","District staff reported awards and pending grants that together fund family‑focused substance prevention, recovery high school planning, tele‑nursing, a stock rescue inhaler program, and Stop the Bleed kits.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193154,"Beloit School District launches 'Bridal' program to expand supports for students beyond age 18",500,265000,765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6&start=265&end=765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868225-fbf0f1f6562b23aa247391275f3f40a6/thumbnail_265000.jpg","/articles/6193154/Wisconsin/Beloit-School-District-launches-Bridal-program-to-expand-supports-for-students-beyond-age-18","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193154-2c3522b242b6acbd4d362d6144c739ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688350&Signature=hqqz3HTQenTHyf3oJ-Fh3pYA4XTZFsJY8Ikk2J-zC5DgAVqJjzTbcqfZygc1PATKEI6-3PBQsc7Bcv7EcA0C72m0Ci0jXyVpsCAaIVlQ8b7nPRoqsynnTz4dQgDeEdKe0i1VqH~vPiLiRki-uKBHAhJfJvFs8qbTcy7YERY8~-W~rLEGzP8hLh~XhJsPFlj7aaB6Nu21G~LZ-U9VdAUJSsTM4absqVCBV7FdeAGnf7hqmxoXVnKa9nQS~oqYAaVUoN47iXvB~64qfeOUbnW9lorUEte~1ilg~TluDwKET0bxuCzY5uOnnoDj~IaJxzVQOUnGkPJux6~3PCbN1jU25Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eric Weir, the district’s director of special education and student services, told the Beloit School District Board on June 17 that staff have rebranded the district’s post‑18 special education supports as “Bridal,” an acronym the students themselves selected, short for Empowering Adult Learners with Diverse Abilities. \"The team really spent time this year using a continuous improvement framework,\" Weir said, describing a process of analyzing district data and refining a rubric to individualize services.

The new Bridal program is aimed at students who remain eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers services through age 21. Weir said the program emphasizes independent living, recreation and leisure, and personal care rather than heavy academic instruction. \"Most of these are typically in the area of independent living, rec and leisure, personal cares,\" he said.

Why it matters: the district and state use Indicator 14 and Indicator 13 data to measure post‑school outcomes and transition planning for students with IEPs. Weir said those data showed students with intellectual disabilities and in the educational autism category were less likely to meet state criteria for competitive employment or postsecondary education, which motivated the Bridal redesign.

What the program will offer: Weir said Bridal will use a refined rubric to individualize services instead of using it to exclude students. The program will continue community partnerships for work and recreational opportunities — Weir highlighted relationships with the YMCA, the library and Meals on Wheels, and student involvement at the Cunningham Building — and will prioritize readiness for work programs such as Project Search at Mercy Hospital. \"Sometimes we see kids that sometimes they get accepted to Project Search and then when they're expected to do the tasks, they aren't always ready,\" Weir said. Bridal is intended to build those skills over a year or two.

Capacity and logistics: Weir said the program currently has one teacher (he thanked Maddie Satire by name for leading the work) and had three year‑long students this year. For the coming school year eight students have already been identified to begin Bridal — a notable increase. Staff estimated current staffing could support roughly 10–12 students depending on logistics; the program uses an accessible district van to transport students to community sites and is based at the Cunningham Building.

Family involvement and next steps: Weir described a plan to send the rubric to families so they can self‑assess their learner’s skills ahead of IEP meetings, and said case managers will use the rubric to reach consensus with families on goals and services. He also said Bridal will not be a full‑day program for every student; some learners may attend two hours while others might be there six hours, depending on individualized needs.

The board discussion included questions about transportation, capacity and whether involving case managers in IEPs helped increase enrollment; Weir said invited participation by Bridal staff has improved awareness among school teams and families. The district did not propose any board vote on Bridal at the meeting; the presentation served as an informational update.","District special education staff redesigned services for students with disabilities who remain eligible for services after age 18, rebranding the offering as \"Bridal\" (Empowering Adult Learners with Diverse Abilities) and preparing to enroll more students next school year.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears rising discipline numbers, authorizes expulsion officer and renews independent hearing officer

Beloit reviews Act 20 literacy work; teachers completed required 'sciences of reading' training, district fell short of one reading goal

Board committee reviews proposal to award high‑school credit for Spanish proficiency

Beloit School District secures multiple grants for substance‑use prevention, recovery planning, health services and safety kits

Beloit School District launches 'Bridal' program to expand supports for students beyond age 18