School Board President Discusses Possible South Beaver Dam Elementary Closure

(Beaver Dam) School Board President Bev Beal-Loeck discussed the possible closure of South Beaver Dam Elementary School when she was our guest this week on WBEV’s Community Comment. The administration is recommending the closure based on the results of a facilities study that says, among other things, that the rural school should be consolidated with Jefferson Elementary after the next school year.

Beal-Loeck notes that the possible closure is part of a larger discussion about the number of buildings in the district and future consolidation needs. She says consideration needs to be given to providing equitable services for students with regards to special education, tutors, mentors, music and art. Beal-Loeck says the more buildings in the district, the more those personnel have to be spread out because of funding realities.

“Theoretically if you have fewer buildings,” she says “you can provide more services to more of the buildings, more of the time.”

The closure recommendation is part of a facilities study by Zimmerman Architectural Studios that identified over $12-million dollars in maintenance needs at all district buildings, except the high school, over the next five years. Beal-Loeck says the bottom line is that sometimes “things need to be replaced, but how because every building has needs.” She says this is the first look at a plan that is “not finalized by any stretch, yet.”

The school board will discuss the matter in a workshop meeting, prior to their regular board meeting, on June 10. Beal-Loeck says a decision needs to be made by July.