Beloit board delays decision on $2.5 million Hendricks literacy pilot after intense public debate

The School District of Beloit Board of Education on Feb. 17 debated whether to accept a contingent $2,500,000 offer from the Hendricks Family Foundation to fund a three-year, high-intensity literacy pilot at one elementary school, then voted to postpone a final decision to a March 3 workshop while staff and the foundation negotiate details.

Supporters who addressed the board during an extended public comment period said the offer could deliver targeted literacy interventions and tutoring at no cost to the district. Melissa Vorbach, who identified herself as a co‑president of a local foundation, described the grant as “an opportunity to try something different for students at the elementary level” and said the Beloit Education Association executive team voted unanimously to support the proposal and requested a formal role in oversight. Several parents and teachers echoed that view, saying immediate action could help students who are currently reading below grade level.

Opponents and skeptical speakers raised concerns about donor influence, the proposal’s limits and governance conditions, and whether the district could sustain the program after a pilot period. Greg (public commenter) said the foundation’s terms appeared to require foundation approval of district implementation decisions and warned that “this is the Hendricks Family Foundation buying its way into and controlling a piece of public education.” Another commenter asked whether the donor’s identity and political influence should be weighed in the board’s deliberations.

During board discussion, Superintendent Dr. Anderson recommended moving forward to negotiate an agreement but emphasized that implementation details—including student selection, metrics for success, and contract protections—should be worked out jointly. Board members debated whether the board should first adopt new policy language governing private gifts. Legal counsel recommended a temporary waiver of Policy 8.40 to remove procedural ambiguity; the board voted 6–1 to waive the policy for purposes of negotiating the Hendricks offer.

Concerns that shaped debate included an initial condition reported by some members that the foundation wanted assurance of a unanimous board vote; several trustees and the foundation’s representative discussed removing or modifying that stipulation so the decision would not override the board’s democratic process. Board member Megan Miller described meeting privately with the foundation representative and said several of her concerns were assuaged: “She agreed to discuss this with the family foundation and to adjust,” Miller said, noting flexibility on seat allocation, evaluation metrics and information sharing.

To allow time for those negotiations and additional internal review, the board approved an amendment, offered during the meeting, to postpone the vote for two weeks and hold a final board workshop on March 3. The amended motion directs staff and legal counsel to negotiate and return with a proposed agreement for board review. Superintendent Anderson and other board members said the workshop should include staff input, measures for accountability, and provisions addressing sustainability after the pilot.

What’s next: Board members directed administration and legal counsel to work with the Hendricks Family Foundation and labor representatives to finalize a written agreement that specifies metrics, student selection criteria, parent engagement plans, and contractual protections. The board will revisit the proposed agreement at a March 3 workshop before taking a final vote.

Sources: public comment period; board discussion and motions recorded by the School District of Beloit Board of Education on Feb. 17, 2026.