| By Big Radio News Staff |

Early estimates for equalized state aid to Beloit School District are in.

The news is not good.

The state Department of Public Instruction says Beloit schools will see its state aid in the coming school year shrink by $564,000. That’s a 1% dip compared to last year.

The difference between the $61 million in general aid Beloit saw last year, and the $60.46 million the state projects Beloit will get in the coming year, might not seem like a huge chasm.

But Beloit schools Business Services Director Bob Chady says a preliminary school district budget he’s presenting Tuesday already projects about a $6 million deficit for the 2024-2025 school year.

The state’s projected decrease in aid does not brighten that picture.

Chady points out the district is on the front end of its budget planning, and the state aid estimates released this week are preliminary.

There’s a chance the amount Beloit schools get in aid could change after the state sees more financial information from the school district.

Like other districts, Beloit schools will build out its 2024-2025 budget this summer and fall.

Some factors, such as last year’s spending and revenue, and projections for spending and revenue in the coming year, could prompt the state to make adjustments to Beloit schools’ aid package.

All school districts learn the final amount they’ll receive in state aid in October.