Communications consultants report staff, community concerns ahead of any potential referendum

The Hadley Group presented results of a district-led listening process and surveys Tuesday evening to the Beloit School District Board of Education, reporting staff and community concerns that administrators say they will use to shape any future referendum planning.

The consulting team said its listening work — conducted in August and September — included one-on-one board interviews, staff surveys and a community survey offered in English and Spanish. Lindsay Bridal, who led the engagement work, described the effort as “directional listening” meant to inform messaging rather than to advocate for or against any proposal. Shawna Thayer, Bridal’s Hadley colleague, said the team collected 245 staff responses and 362 open-ended comments in the staff instrument.

The consultants said staff priorities were staff pay and retention, student behavior and engagement, and academic supports. Bridal and Thayer also reported that roughly 70% of staff respondents said funding limitations from past referendums affect their day-to-day work. On the community side, the consultants said respondents prioritized information on individual tax impact, wanted clear, transparent oversight, and — contrary to broader industry norms — showed a marked preference for email as a primary channel.

"These findings are descriptive," Bridal said, "They're meant to inform. They are not meant to advocate for or against anything." Thayer said the firm had intentionally included more listening this cycle than in prior work and that the district retains ownership of the data and analysis.

The consultants also flagged two operational issues that could affect outreach: bilingual materials are important to reach Spanish-speaking residents, and the board currently lacks an official social-media presence; the consultants said much board-related information circulates on social platforms via third parties. They recommended consolidating key documents in a single location, offering simple explanatory materials for staff and the public, and building a consistent, opt-in communication cadence.

Board members asked procedural and follow-up questions. Superintendent Dr. Garrison thanked staff for participating and said additional opportunities for staff input would remain if the board moves forward. Vice President Brian Nichols and several members asked for the supplemental materials Shawna mentioned, and the Hadley representatives said they would share a companion document with suggested tactics for different audiences and begin proposal-framing work in October and November.

The Hadley Group said the district can use the listening results whether or not the board advances a referendum and described the next step as framing proposals and preparing materials to present to the public if the board elects to proceed.