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Students, graduates and families urge board to keep Beloit Learning Academy intact
Summary
Scores of current and former Beloit Learning Academy (BLA) students, parents and staff told the board June 16 that closing or moving BLA would harm students who rely on its smaller classes and wraparound supports. The board did not take a final action and requested more detailed budget and facilities options at the next meeting.
Hundreds of pages of written and live public comments at the Beloit School Board’s June 16 meeting focused on Beloit Learning Academy, with a steady stream of current students, alumni and parents urging the board not to move or close the program.
"BLA is more than a school. They are a family," said Isabella Flores, a 2023 graduate, describing how the academy supported her as a single mother and helped her finish high school. Deon Rosselle, a 2019 BLA graduate, told the board that BLA had provided time, counseling and vocational supports he said were essential to his success. Multiple parents described children who halted education because the larger high school environment overwhelmed them and said the specialized setting at BLA restored attendance, confidence and graduation prospects.
Speakers and emailed correspondents described services housed at the Cunningham Success Center — a food pantry, clothing closet, 18–21 transition and teen‑parent supports, maker space and counseling — and said those integrated resources cannot be replicated simply by moving a program into the main high school building. "Putting students back into the environment where they were struggling defeats the very purpose of the program," a parent said during public comment.
Board members acknowledged the district’s budget shortfall and that difficult facility decisions may be required. Several trustees asked administration for detailed, side‑by‑side plans that would show the fiscal impact and operational timeline for options such as moving BLA into Merrill Elementary, consolidating programs, or other configurations. Administration warned that some options would be difficult to implement on short notice and recommended planning for one comprehensive set of facility changes rather than multiple, piecemeal moves.
No formal board action to close or move BLA was taken at the meeting. The board directed administration to return with detailed proposals and cost estimates at a special meeting next Tuesday, so trustees can weigh community impact, transportation effects and staffing considerations before a final decision.
