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Board presses for staffing plan after enrollment and vacancy figures raise class-size concerns
Summary
District staff presented enrollment counts, FTE calculations and a staffing workbook; board members pressed administration for a detailed 2025–26 staffing plan and per-section class sizes before finalizing the budget, citing large class sizes and hundreds of vacancies.
Beloit School District administrators presented enrollment and staffing workbooks on Oct. 25, saying the district had budgeted membership of 6,203 students for 2025–26 and that fall counts and FTE calculations led to a higher revenue‑limit membership figure reported by staff. Administration said staffing is concentrated in teachers and paraprofessionals and identified current district vacancies.
Board member Carol Fox pressed for a building‑level staffing plan that lists the number of sections and students per section, saying the high‑level slides did not meet her request. "How can we be responsible to pass a budget if we have no knowledge of a staffing plan?" Fox asked, adding that class sizes such as "24 students, 25 students, 27 students, 28 students in a 4 year old classroom is not okay," and urging the board to receive detailed data before budget adoption.
Administration and principals described the mechanics behind membership, third‑Friday counts and DPI FTE adjustments. Presenters explained that the district budgets using a three‑year average and converts attendance into revenue‑limit membership by applying FTE adjustments for pre‑K and 4‑year‑old programs. The presentation included an itemized workbook that administrators said could be shared with board members and expanded to include all schools.
Vacancies and class‑size math: administration said the district was processing hundreds of staff positions and was relying in part on third‑party placements. "What you're looking at is exactly how many of our FTEs are vacant…about 113 vacancies, of which 45 are teachers and about 31 are paras," one cabinet member reported. Principals described hiring challenges and the use of contracted staff to cover roles such as school nurses and special education supports.
Administrators said changes to dual‑language immersion (DLI) sections were driven partly by availability of certified DLI teachers and by enrollment shifts; in some cases FTEs were repurposed to keep students in classes when DLI teachers were not available.
Why it matters: board members urged more precise, building‑level staffing data before the board finalizes a budget it is scheduled to adopt in the coming days. Administration said additional workbook tabs for each school exist and can be provided, and that some adjustments are constrained by teacher availability and building capacity.
Ending: Board requested that administration provide the detailed staffing workbook and per‑section class sizes, including placements for counselors, social workers and psychologists, so trustees can review the staffing plan before approving the budget.
