Beloit School District adopts balanced 2025-26 budget, approves $16.2 million tax levy

The Beloit School District board unanimously approved the district—s 2025-26 original budget and a fiscal-year tax levy at a meeting on Oct. 27, 2025.

Board President Tia Johnson called the meeting to order and, after presentations from district administration, the board voted to adopt the balanced budget and the tax levy by roll call. "We were able to meet the board goal as it pertains to bringing a balanced budget to the conversations," Dr. Garrison said during the presentation, thanking staff, administrators and the BEA for their participation.

The presentation to the board said the district—s final revenue-limit worksheet from the state (received Oct. 15) produced a higher mill rate than earlier estimates because the state did not add new dollars to equalization aid for 2025-26 and 2026-27. Finance staff explained the shift increased the local property taxpayer share of revenue-limit changes. "All state payments come from taxpayer dollars," Stephanie Elwood, Director, Business/Finance, said while explaining equalization aid and property-tax interactions.

Key budget items presented to the board included: a final revenue limit above $75 million; an estimated 6,207 students (an increase of four students above the district—s earlier budget estimate); a districtwide staff salary increase of 2.95% for 2025-26; and a general-fund addition to fund balance of $471,000 carried from 2024-25. The presentation also noted expense pressures: higher payments for independent charter schools and private-school vouchers, increased utilities and transportation costs, and continuing vacancy levels in teaching and support positions.

Administration said the budget incorporates October 15 state updates that reduced equalization aid and increased the tax levy. The district also moved school resource officer (SRO) costs from Fund 80 back into Fund 10 and budgeted a transfer from Fund 73 to Fund 10 to help cover salary increases. The packet shown to the board broke the district—s finances into common fund categories (Fund 10 general fund, Fund 27 special education, Fund 38/39 debt funds, Fund 50 food service, Fund 73 OPEB, Fund 80 community service and Fund 99 cooperative programs).

Board members asked questions about enrollment and how unfilled budgeted positions affect future budgets. Administration clarified that each year—s budget is created anew and that actual year-end expenditures, not budgeted-but-unfilled positions, determine the fund-balance change. The presenters emphasized staffing remains a year-long operational issue and that vacancy counts are a snapshot (the packet used an Oct. 10 snapshot).

Following the presentation, the board approved the original 2025-26 budget by voice roll call (motion by Megan Miller, second by Amy Levy) with all members voting "aye." The board also approved a fiscal-year total tax levy recited in the meeting as $16,248,298, described as consisting of a Fund 10 general operations tax levy of $15,248,669 and a Fund 30 non-referendum tax levy of $936,629; the transcript shows these component figures alongside the stated total and includes a brief numeric clarification exchange on the dais before the levy vote. The motion to adopt the levy passed unanimously by roll call.

No public commenters signed up to speak at the meeting, and board members noted that adopting the budget does not end staffing and expenditure discussions; significant purchases or budget-category changes would return to the board for approval before execution.

The meeting adjourned after the levy vote.