The Lincoln Academy School FAQ

The Lincoln Academy will be a K4-12 charter school. We plan to offer a rigorous curriculum that elevates diverse career opportunities and creates a strong school culture that allows and expects ALL children will learn and succeed at a high level.

The Lincoln Academy will be an independent charter school, but it must be approved by the Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO) at the University of Wisconsin. The OEO has evaluated the school’s application, reviewed its educational and financial plan, interviewed the Board of Directors and school leaders, and set specific requirements for how the school must perform. The application to open an independent charter school in Beloit was approved on May 15, 2020.

The Lincoln Academy will create a new public-school option available to all Beloit families, and while it is a public school, it will not be run by the Beloit School District. It will have its own Board of Directors and make independent decisions about how to serve students and families.

As an Office of Educational Opportunity authorized charter school, The Lincoln Academy will be funded directly by the State of Wisconsin. All students enrolled in The Lincoln Academy except those who have never previously enrolled in school (such as students who are entering K4, home schooled or attended a private school) will be counted as enrolled in the Beloit School District and the State will allocate the full per pupil amount $10,902 (The revenue limit for 2019-20 is documented https://sfs.dpi.wi.gov/SFSdw/). Before distributing that money to the School District of Beloit, the State of Wisconsin will reduce the District aid allotment by $8,911 for each student enrolled in The Lincoln Academy and send that money directly to The Lincoln Academy.

The School District of Beloit is allowed to keep the difference if needed, currently $1,991 per child, even though those children do not attend school in the district.

The School District of Beloit will not receive the full aid allotment. However, the district will continue counting these students, and receive the per pupil revenue limit for the duration of time they are enrolled at The Lincoln Academy and partially for three additional years after they leave. District students not previously enrolled (noted above) will be counted by the District beginning year two at The Lincoln Academy.

As a charter school, The Lincoln Academy will be a public school in every sense of the word. Any student with Wisconsin residency will be welcome to apply and eligible to attend, including English Learners and students with special needs. The intent of The Lincoln Academy is to serve Beloit children and outreach efforts will be directed to Beloit families.  If the school receives more applications than there are seats available, a public random lottery is used to determine enrollment for those seats as well as waitlist order.

There are no admission tests or assessments and charter schools are tuition-free. Parents cannot be charged for their student to attend.

The Lincoln Academy will not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or any other characteristic described in state law.

Yes. As a tuition-free public charter school, The Lincoln Academy will be committed to diversity and serving all scholars, including scholars with special needs and English Learner scholars.

Any student with Wisconsin residency will be welcome to apply and eligible to attend The Lincoln Academy. If the school receives more applications than there are seats available, a public random lottery is used to determine enrollment for those seats as well as waitlist order. Once a scholar is enrolled in The Lincoln Academy, the scholar will be re-enrolled the following year(s) unless withdrawn by the parent/guardian.

Siblings of currently enrolled scholars will be given preference.  By law, children of paid staff members (not to exceed 10% of total student enrollment) will also be given preference.

There is no cost to attend The Lincoln Academy.  It is a public school, and parents cannot be charged for their student to attend the school.

In the first year of operation The Lincoln Academy will enroll K4-2 and 7-9 grades, with two classrooms in each grade. One grade on each side (e.g. 3rd and 10th in the next year) will be added every year following until the school serves all grades K4-12 with an enrollment of 700 students.

The Lincoln Academy will open in the Fall of 2021.

Open enrollment for K4-2 and 7-9 grades for the Fall 2021 school year will take place February 1 – February 28, 2021.

Applications will be available online starting February 1, 2021.

All K4 applicants must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2021.

If the number of applications exceeds the number of seats available, a public random drawing will be held to fill the available seats.

Siblings of currently enrolled scholars will be given preference.  By law, children of paid staff members (not to exceed 10% of total student enrollment) will also be given preference.

When a random drawing is required to fill the available seats, each applicant will be assigned a number and the numbers will be drawn to determine placement order, beginning with K4.  If an applicant with older sibling(s) is drawn, the older sibling(s) will immediately be placed in their respective grade(s) as available seats permits.  The drawing will continue until all names have been pulled. Applicants whose names have been pulled after all seats have been filled will remain on a wait list in the order they were pulled for the school year.

Kids First Beloit, a local non-profit organization, manages The Lincoln Academy through its Board of Directors. This governing board is responsible for overseeing the operation of The Lincoln Academy, and decision-making about how to serve students and families.  The Board of Directors will also be responsible for ensuring the school is accountable for the performance expectations included in the charter contract. Decisions about classroom instruction, staff, and school culture will be made at the school level by the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Kristi Cole.

Dr. Cole will be responsible for leading efforts to launch The Lincoln Academy and will oversee educational programming and operations for the school.  Dr. Cole was unanimously recommended by a hiring committee composed of members of the Kids First Beloit Board, the Beloit 200 Education Committee and The Lincoln Academy Advisory Council.  She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Milwaukee College Prep, a high-performing K8 urban charter network serving 2,000 scholars in Milwaukee.  Dr. Cole has worked as a consultant with Kids First Beloit on this project since August 2019.

Dr. Cole received her Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from the UW-Milwaukee.  She holds Masters’ Degrees in Library and Information Science and Administrative Leadership, a Ph.D. in Service and Leadership and a Wisconsin Superintendent’s License.  In addition to her experience at Milwaukee College Prep, Dr. Cole served as a School Leadership Coach for Schools That Can Milwaukee.  She was the Principal at Humbolt Park K-8 School, a premiere multi-cultural charter school in Milwaukee Public Schools, Project Director for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative and the Director of Diversified Community Schools.  Dr. Cole also served as the Chief Charter School Officer under the direction of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors.

Dr. Cole would like the community to know, “I have had the wonderful opportunity to engage with many community members n Beloit and I am excited to be part of this incredible city.  My mission in life has been serving children to ensure they get a quality public education and I cannot wait to share my expertise and passion with the Beloit community.  I am honored to be selected as the founding CEO of The Lincoln Academy and I look forward to establishing a highly successful, rigorous and joyful K-12 charter school where all children will be provided a quality education that prepares them for a choice-filled life.”

The Lincoln Academy will be required to administer all the same tests and assessments as all other public schools.  The school will receive a rating through the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Accountability system, and if it does not perform at a high level, it can be closed by the Office of Educational Opportunity, the organization that granted our charter. School performance information will be available on both the DPI and school websites.

There will not be social promotion at The Lincoln Academy. Scholars will be expected to be fully ready for the upcoming grade.

Outstanding educators, focused curriculum and strong professional development will be the starting point of ensuring scholars master skills. There will be regular review of individual scholar data and reteaching will take place when scholars need extra support or time to learn a skill. Response to Intervention (RTI) will be used when necessary to provide more intense support to scholars in need.

We believe firmly in meeting scholars where they are.  The Lincoln Academy has designed a unique instructional model to serve scholars that makes sure scholars receive extended literacy and math instruction each day. This will allow time for scholars to catch up if they are behind, while at the same time receiving the necessary grade-level content to keep them moving forward.  There will also be a unique staffing model at both the K-8 and high school levels to allow for targeted teacher support and intervention for scholars who are struggling or looking for advanced learning.  An integrated curriculum that includes reading and writing in social studies, science, and individual instruction time ensures that scholars will read and write for up to 210 minutes during the school day during core instruction alone.  The Lincoln Academy will utilize an array of support staff, as needs are identified, to ensure scholar needs are met.

Every evening parents will have a folder or agenda that comes to them to see what is happening during the school day. Parents will be responsible to sign off to show they read the information. Parents will also receive weekly school newsletters and communication through emails, texts and phone calls, when needed. Teachers are expected to have open lines of communication with families to ensure every scholar is supported.

Expectations will be developed during the planning year phase, along with support from the Parent Advisory Council and leadership. A culture of high expectations in both culture and academics is a clear focus at The Lincoln Academy. These expectations will be included in The Lincoln Academy Family Handbook that will be created to ensure that all parents and scholars are clear on the expectations prior to enrolling. Staff, parents and the scholars themselves will all sign a compact that outlines expectations and responsibilities for meeting the needs of scholars at The Lincoln Academy.

Character education will be infused in the curriculum starting in K4. Every day there will be explicit character education skills and values taught during the proactivity time. Bullying will not be tolerated and will be addressed immediately by teachers and administration. The safety of our scholars and staff come first and we will have clear expectations in place regarding safety. There will be a strict visitor policy and technology support that will serve in ensuring our scholars and staff are safe.

The classroom is the most important place in the school. There will be clear classroom management strategies that will be expected to take place as a proactive measure to limit classroom disruptions. However, in the event a classroom disruption occurs, it will be handled with expediency to ensure teaching and learning are not interrupted.

Our goal is to create a positive, supportive and academically challenging environment that limits disruptions and ensures all scholars who enroll at The Lincoln Academy stay at The Lincoln Academy. There will be times when disciplinary measures will be necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of all scholars, and there will be a clear disciplinary policy.  As in all public schools, there will be a fair, equitable due process if disciplinary measures, such as suspension or expulsion need to take place. Proactive and restorative processes will be an expectation at The Lincoln Academy and a culture of joy and love will support a positive learning environment.

Joy factor is an important part of The Lincoln Academy! We want scholars and their families to feel they are part of The Lincoln Academy community. Parent and family members are a key part of every scholar’s success and will be an active participant in the scholars learning every step of the way.  We will gather regularly as a community at The Lincoln Academy to celebrate learning, hard work, and achievement; focused on affirmation and positivity.

Our communication with parents and guardians will be clear and consistent.  This will include nightly folder updates, weekly school newsletters and communication through emails, texts and phone calls, when needed. Teachers are expected to have open lines of communication with families to ensure every scholar is supported.

Absolutely! In addition to participation in regular gatherings and celebrations, The Lincoln Academy also welcomes support from families through activities such as: volunteering, participating in fieldtrips, cheering at sporting/after school events, attending parent/teacher conferences and participating on the Parent Advisory Council. The Parent Advisory Council will work with school leadership to develop expectations related to school culture and academics that will be included in The Lincoln Academy Family Handbook.  Staff, parents and the scholars themselves will all sign a compact that outlines expectations and responsibilities for meeting the needs of scholars at The Lincoln Academy.

Yes, administrators will be expected to be responsive to teachers and parents. They will provide support and prompt communication. They will also hold scholars, teachers and parents accountable in following the mission of The Lincoln Academy.

The most important aspect of a school is hiring the right staff. At The Lincoln Academy that means hiring staff who are mission aligned. They will believe that all children can learn and it is up to them to make that happen. There will be a rigorous hiring process to ensure talented staff who are aligned to the mission will be hired.

Absolutely! The goal of The Lincoln Academy is to ensure that 100% of scholars graduate with the skills to either enroll in college, enlist in the armed forces or be employed in a living-wage job. We fully expect that all of our scholars will have the character and skills to live a quality choice-filled life.

Yes, financial literacy, technical education and college prep courses will be offered. The Lincoln Academy will have a rigorous curriculum with many career options, such as: Bioscience, Technology, Business, Engineering, Trades, Fine Arts, Medicine, Healthcare and Human Services. There will be Advanced Placement courses as well.

Yes, we plan to have dual enrollment options for students.

Yes, there will be opportunities for job shadowing, internships and apprenticeships to ensure students have access to hands-on learning.

Teachers will be evaluated several times throughout the year through a process that aligns with the instructional coaching model we will use. It will be aligned to classroom environment, mastery of content and rigorous instruction. Student outcomes will be looked at as part of the evaluation process as well.

Consistent and frequent professional development will be part of the educational model at The Lincoln Academy. It is expected that all staff participate in weekly professional development and have a desire to grow professionally. One of our mottos will be, “We will never rest until our good is better and our better is best.”

Yes, teachers will be compensated competitively. We will also build in a bonus structure for teachers who continually meet their goals and go above and beyond. We will celebrate teachers for the hard work they do.

No, as a charter school, teachers at The Lincoln Academy are not eligible to participate in the State retirement system. There will be retirement plan options available to all staff.

At The Lincoln Academy, teachers will have some of the most advanced technological, artistic and scientific tools available to engage students.

Yes, there will be support staff. It will depend on the needs of the students who enroll at The Lincoln Academy, but it is anticipated the school will have support staff such as: school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors, ESL teachers, educational assistants and special education teachers.

The school will be located at 608 Henry Avenue, on the northeast side of the Eclipse Center campus. The school will be a free-standing, 112,000 square foot, three story structure, separate from the Eclipse Center that captures the beauty and history of the Beloit community with reference to its industrial past and vibrant future. It will be an incredible learning environment that includes the latest technology, ample classroom space for group and individual learning, and designated space for specials and career-focused learning that provide for a robust and rigorous K-12 education. Exterior space will include parking and green space for outdoor activities. The school will be within walking distance of the Beloit Public Library and other community partners.

A temporary office for The Lincoln Academy will open in August 2020, at 55 Eclipse Center.

There will be a separation of grade levels with classrooms for K4-4 grade located on the first floor, 5-8 grade classrooms located on the second floor and classrooms for 9-12 grades on the third floor. There will be some opportunities for common space usage, but with expectations of supervision and scheduling to ensure scholars are supporting each other in their community and representing themselves with high expectations. We anticipate opportunities for middle and high school scholars to support our younger scholars and act as role models and mentors.

Yes, transportation will be provided for Beloit scholars residing more than one mile from the school.

The anticipated school day will be from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. The Lincoln Academy school year will typically align with the traditional Beloit Public School calendar, with extra days added at the beginning of the school year.

There will be a series of community meetings while we are planning the The Lincoln Academy. Please click on the “News and Events” link in the upper right-hand corner on our webpage for details on upcoming information sessions.

In the Fall, we will let families know how they can learn more about enrolling in the school. In addition, we hope to provide small groups of parents the opportunity to tour other charter schools in Wisconsin so they can understand the kinds of programs charter schools can offer.

You can also contact us directly by clicking on the “Contact Us” link in the upper right-hand corner on our webpage.