Kids First Beloit is moving forward with plans for a public charter school after the University of Wisconsin Office of Educational Opportunity granted conditional approval its charter application.
The non-profit organization started by Diane Hendricks and Beloit 200 is planning to open The Lincoln Academy in time for the start of the 2021 school year.
The charter school will not be part of the School District of Beloit, authorized instead through the University of Wisconsin System.
The school’s leaders hope to provide a better educational opportunity for students in Beloit, while opponents of the proposal say it will take much-needed resources away from the public school district.
The Lincoln Academy plans to enroll 700 students annually, equal to roughly 10 percent of the School District of Beloit.
The Beloit City Council approved a conditional use permit Monday night for Kids First Beloit’s proposal to build the school onto a portion of the Eclipse Center where the former Kohl’s store stood.
Multiple city council members expressed their opposition to the idea of the charter school, but their vote was only to determine whether a school would be an appropriate use of the zoned property.
Kids First Beloit submitted their charter application in February after dozens of public information sessions.
Hendricks Family Foundation Executive Director Lisa Furseth said nearly 300 residents have signed their petition for the school, which would be required to accept any student who wished to enroll.
It would be governed by an appointed governing board, and Furseth said it would be held accountable by a five-year charter contract with its authorizer, the UW System.
