Beloit School Board holds workshop to shape 2026–27 budget; examines OPEB, athletics and community partnerships

The Beloit School Board met in a special workshop on April 14 to give administration guidance for preparing the 2026–27 budget, review a staff survey on spending priorities and consider short- and long-term strategies to close a multi‑million‑dollar shortfall.

Board members framed the meeting as an opportunity to provide the superintendent and cabinet a list of priorities rather than to approve a final plan. Carol Fox, who drafted the recommended guidance, told trustees the district should ‘‘maintain existing pupil–teacher ratio guidelines, preserve staff retention and recruitment by providing the 2.63% CPI increase, and prioritize district programs and initiatives that help drive our student enrollment, like the academies model and the DLI programs’’ (Carol Fox, Board member).

Why it matters: Administrators said the district faces a projected multi‑million‑dollar gap over the coming years and asked for direction on whether to tap reserves, cut programs or pursue community revenue strategies. Trustees repeatedly said they wanted more specifics — enrollment trends, staffing plans and costed options — before authorizing one‑time reserve use such as…