“The Lincoln Academy (TLA) Board of Directors has authorized preliminary actions — including a construction design contract — to determine the feasibility of expanding the school’s campus and adding capacity for additional scholars,†a news release from The Lincoln Academy stated.
The news release stated the expansion is hoped to increase access for more scholars, broaden career paths, and create more space for extracurricular and athletic programs.
“Work to allow for expansion within the Eclipse location has already begun, including demolition of a portion of the vacant Elder Beerman building,†the news release stated.
The Elder Beerman section of the Eclipse Center campus, was demolished in June. The store, which was an anchor store in the former Beloit Mall, closed in 2018 after the parent company, Bon-Ton, declared bankruptcy.
“Our top core value of TLA is children first,†said Lisa Furseth, TLA Board Chair. “Given current demand and educational needs within the community, the question of expansion continues to surface. The TLA Board collectively believes there is nothing more important than a high-quality education.â€
Tenants of the Eclipse Center campus have received notice recently of impending changes at the former Beloit Mall.
The School District of Beloit was told it needed to relocate its automotive technology program by Feb. 17 so the building could be torn down and redeveloped.
In July, Community Action Inc. announced it was moving out of the Eclipse Center and the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, which holds its annual dinner at the Eclipse Center, was told the venue no longer taking reservations for events in the next year.
“TLA’s latest academic performance data shows strong growth among our scholars,†said TLA Chief Education Officer Kristi Cole. “The state of Wisconsin views third grade English Language Arts and eighth grade math as indicators of learning progress, and TLA’s results in both areas have surpassed averages. This demonstrates that all children can learn — and we are successfully teaching them here.â€
TLA opened in the fall of 2021. Last year was the first year the school had students in 4K through high school and its enrollment reached 727. This year, it increased slightly to 730. Essentially, the building is at capacity.
The Lincoln Academy is one of the major initiatives of ABC Supply Co. co-founder Diane Hendricks’ in her now more than 25 years worth of Beloit improvement projects.
Corporate Contractors Inc., a Hendricks-owned company, built TLA on Hendricks-owned property in 2020 and 2021. The original building permit estimated construction costs at $25 million. CCI was back in 2023 to complete a $3.9 million buildout as the independent, tuition-free charter school continued to add grades.
As a state-authorized charter school, The Lincoln Academy receives funding directly from Wisconsin. In 2024-2025, TLA received $11,729 per pupil from this source.
That amount is less than what traditional public schools receive and TLA supplements its budget through fundraising and Hendricks is its biggest supporter. She is on the TLA board of directors. The Hendricks Family Foundation has given The Lincoln Academy more than $4 million over the past four years, according to IRS records. Furseth is executive director of the Hendricks Family Foundation.
Diane Hendricks and her late husband, Ken, bought the Beloit Mall in 2000 when it was about 50% full. In 2004, they began transforming the mall into what’s known today as the Eclipse Center, a mixed-use development of public services and non-profits.
TLA uses a lottery system and the school has said it typically has a waiting list of more than 200 students each year hoping for spots.
TLA’s growth has undoubtedly contributed to financial struggles of the School District of Beloit. According to Wisconsin State Report Cards, the School District of Beloit’s enrollment peaked in 2015-2016 at 7,022 students even though hundreds of SDB students were attending Beloit Turner schools through the state’s open enrollment system.
Enrollment, though, has fallen at Beloit schools in nine of the past 10 years. That’s in part because of changing demographics, the birth rate in the United States has been declining for nearly 20 years.
Last week, Beloit schools announced that its enrollment was down nearly 4% to 4,762 students. Beloit School Board President Tia Johnson said the continued declines means the district will have to explore closing more schools to save costs.
Beloit Daily News Editor Clint Wolf contributed to this story.
