GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After decades with the Green Bay school district, a member of the school board is moving on.
Christopher Wagner submitted his resignation letter Thursday, nine months short of the end of his third term on the school board.
Wagner tells FOX 11 he is moving to North Carolina to be closer to his grandchildren.
“My heart is here and part of it will remain here, make no mistake about it,” said Wagner. “I’m not running away from Green Bay. I love Green Bay, but again our grandchildren were a powerful draw.”
Wagner was the district’s special education director for 11 years, then Preble High School’s principal for 13 years. After retiring, he was first voted to the school board in 2010.
Board members are paid $4,800 per year, and receive the money whether they are at meetings or not.
“There is a lot of work that board members do aside from just attending meetings,” said Brenda Warren, the school board’s president.
The board has met 19 days this year. Wagner has been excused 10 of them, including five of the past six. It has left some in Green Bay wondering why Wagner’s resignation didn’t come sooner.
“I think they became more aware of the fact that he wasn’t attending meetings and they were questioning it as they have the right to since they are the people who write our paychecks essentially for us,” said Rhonda Sitnikau, a member of the school board.
Wagner says he’s had two family health situations and was ill himself for one meeting. He says he told the district in May that he would be moving.
“I said at that point and time to the folks that I can quit now or I can quit maybe as late as September,” said Wagner. “I’ll do what I can to fulfill my position. As we’ve gotten into summer, three weeks ago I decided July would be it.”
While Wagner wasn’t at those meetings, he says he was in constant communication with other school board members.
“So what I’ve done is if I see something on the agenda and I have a question about it or what not, I’d let someone know ahead of time,” said Wagner.
How Wagner will be replaced will be discussed at the board’s next meeting, on Monday.
The board used an application and interview process last year to replace another member who had resigned.
Wagner’s replacement would finish his term, which ends in April.
