GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Of the dozens of people who showed up to a table top discussion at Green Bay West High School Tuesday night, some were wearing opposition on their shirt to the recommendation to close 12 buildings in the school district, which includes 11 schools.
“We’re having a listening session today for the community — everything is in English,” said Amanda Garcia, one of 26 community members who were part of the district’s facilities task force, a group that met eight times over four months to decide how the district should consolidate its facilities.
Garcia says the final list of buildings to close was only based on facility needs and budget, but it should have included much more.
“I was one of three people of color on the task force and the school district is 60% diverse,” said Garcia. “Many of our families — the Latino families — don’t know that this is happening.”
School board members say events like the one at West are designed to get these concerns in the open before they vote on June 5.
“These are all essential parts of the decision-making process, so we will take all of it into consideration,” said Laura McCoy, the president of the school board.
McCoy says she attended six of the community task force meetings. She believes everyone’s views were taken into account then and will continue to be, moving forward.
“There were parents, there were students, there were representatives from different municipalities, there were retired educators,” said McCoy of the task force. “There were a lot of people represented in that group.”
Click here to provide feedback on the task force recommendations.
MacArthur, Keller, Kennedy, Elmore, Tank, Beaumont, Doty and Wequiock Elementary schools, along with specialty schools Leonardo da Vinci and Minoka Hill, Washington Middle, and the three-story district office building on Broadway are the buildings recommended to close.
Another concern raised at Tuesday’s input session is eliminating smaller and specialty schools.
“I really hope they take into account what’s best for the kids and not just the monetary value behind it because I know a lot of kids would leave the district if that is all they’re looking at,” said Leah Weakley, a parent of a student at Wequiock.
This is all being done as the district faces a $20 million budget deficit and a 12% decline in enrollment over the next decade.
Any consolidation wouldn’t happen until after next school year.
District officials say executing the current recommendation would likely cost nearly $300 million but could be done without raising tax rates, as some debt will soon be cleared.
Besides Tuesday, the public will also have two other opportunities to weigh in on the plan before the school board is scheduled to take a vote in June.
Table Top Discussions
Table Top Discussions will begin with a presentation of the Task Force recommendations by the group that has led the Task Force work (ATS&R). Participants will be assigned to a table and participate in a facilitated discussion about the recommendations. These opportunities allow individuals to not only share their thoughts and opinions, but to also hear each other’s perspectives. Notes will be collected and shared with the Board of Education.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.
East High School Commons, 1415 E. Walnut Street
Public Forum
This event will be held at Washington Middle School’s auditorium. Entrance to the school is in the parking lot behind the building. Each individual who signs up to speak will be given three minutes to share their feedback to the Board. The Board of Education will be present to listen only. Individuals wishing to speak will sign up in the auditorium foyer between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The forum will last until everyone who has signed up has had an opportunity to speak.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
Washington Middle School auditorium, 314 S. Baird Street
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