Stateline Boys & Girls Club asks Beloit board for $250,000 a year from Fund 80 to expand after‑school transportation and staffing

Mark Rand, CEO of the Stateline Boys & Girls Club, asked the Beloit School District Board to consider committing approximately $250,000 per school year from Fund 80 to expand after‑school programming, transportation and staffing capacity.

Rand said the club currently served just over 1,000 children in 2025–26, about 700 of whom come from the Beloit School District, and that transportation and cost barriers limit the number of children who can attend. "What Fund 80 would help us with is for us to serve more kids, we need more resources, right? Because we have to hire more staff or bring in more volunteers," he said, and described Fund 80 support as a way to leverage community partners to provide wrap‑around services.

District finance staff (Stephanie) told the board Fund 80 is a community fund that can be levied without a referendum if it serves the entire community, but noted the district is already drawing down some Fund 80 dollars on existing programs. She said Fund 80 balances have been used for Even Start and extracurricular securities; once those balances are exhausted the board would need to levy Fund 80 again for future expenditures. Board members asked whether a multi‑year commitment would be permanent; staff responded the board retains authority to change Fund 80 allocations in future years.

Board members discussed coordinating Fund 80 support with existing federal CLC grants (after‑school grants) and asked for more detail on how preschool or before‑school wraparound services might be structured and staffed. Rand said the club’s monthly ask would be roughly $27,000 and that similar partnerships in comparable communities have produced sustained funding and service expansions.

Attribution: direct quotes and program figures attributed to Mark Rand (Stateline Boys & Girls Club) and finance staff Stephanie.