Board approves $115,000 renewal for 7 Mindsets social‑emotional curriculum for middle grades

The Beloit Area School District Board of Education approved renewal of the universal social‑emotional learning (SEL) resource 7 Mindsets for students in grades 6–8 at its July 15 meeting.

Missy Beavers, who brought the request to the board, said the renewal includes an embedded SEL screening tool that the district will use K–12 after the district discontinued the SABERS screener for budget reasons. “This is an annual renewal that has historically been covered by grant funding. The state expired the mental health grant that has sunsetted… it’s now a per pupil allocation,” Beavers said.

Why it matters: The purchase supports required instruction in social‑emotional competencies and replaces a previously used screener. Beavers told the board the district will use the state mental‑health per‑pupil allocation to cover the $115,000 renewal.

Board action: A motion to approve the renewal was made and seconded during the meeting; after discussion about available state funding (Beavers said the district’s total funding the prior year was roughly $179,700), the motion carried. The board recorded an affirmative voice vote to approve the $115,000 renewal.

What the board discussed: Board members confirmed the vendor relationship and compatibility with elementary resources: Beavers said the secondary 7 Mindsets product is functionally aligned with an elementary resource (Purposeful People) though they are not from the same company. Board members also asked about the new state funding mechanism and the district’s ability to cover the cost.

Ending: Beavers said the district will implement the screening tool K–12 and that the renewal will maintain continuity of SEL instruction at middle school. The item passed with a majority vote; no further allocations were requested at the July 15 meeting.