GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay’s public school board decided it wants to take a formal stance against putting armed guards in its schools.
Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith proposed the idea in February, a week after the Parkland school shooting.
“As board members and as a school district, we are stewards of taxpayer dollars and it’s our job to determine what’s the best way to spend those dollars,” said Brenda Warren, the president of Green Bay’s school board.
Superintendent Michelle Langenfeld joined Chief Smith at the February news conference when he first outlined his proposal for armed guards in Green Bay’s public schools.
Smith estimated the cost to be about $2.5 million per year.
On Monday, Langenfeld expressed interest in putting additional money elsewhere.
“I would think that we all agree and we heard from our staff tonight how important it is that we have the right mental health resources and the additional supports in our schools.”
The school board also heard from members of the public at its meeting. Five people spoke. All were against armed guards in schools.
“Under the chief’s proposal, we are literally going to have more police officers per capita than nurses, librarians, social workers, and counselors,” said Amy Bahena-Ettner of Green Bay. “I find that offensive and highly inappropriate.”
School board members agreed with those who spoke.
Chief Smith was not at the meeting, but provided FOX 11 a response to the board’s stance.
“I believe that an armed, trained, and fully vetted security official in every school will best protect our children,” Smith wrote in a message to FOX 11. “Ultimately, I don’t get to make that decision, but I fully respect the choices the school board is making regarding school security.”
On the board’s direction, the school district’s attorney will write up a formal motion for the board to vote on at its next meeting.
