GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – In an effort to address declining enrollment across the district, Green Bay’s school board knows changes are needed.
The board has extensively discussed plans to consolidate, close and build new schools in the district. However, two plans brought forward to address those concerns failed to garner adequate community support.
“What we’re hearing from the committee is, let’s be very concise and sensitive to the amount of disruption the facility closures create,” said School Board Vice President James Lyerly.
During Monday’s school board meeting, the board unanimously voted to allow the district’s facilities task force to create a third plan. It’s a plan that the board hopes will minimize disruptions to feeder patterns, especially between middle and high schools.
“If it gives us another opportunity that the committee feels fine with, then let’s look at what they’ve got,” said board member Bryan Milz.
“I always want to hear the best information a committee has to bring forward,” said board member Andrew Becker. “That being said, this committee never was nor is it becoming a binding committee. It will be an important piece of information, a very important information to guide our work, but I never want to see a committee too constrained as long as they’re staying within the bounds of what is legally possible.”
Board members recognize the magnitude of any potential changes, but reiterate that the goal needs to be addressing declining enrollment.
“We still need to look at making sure we do our once in a generation opportunity and provide the best public education for our students,” Milz added. “And we need to be open to ideas on that. I genuinely appreciate the work the committee’s done. We need to make some decisions on this as well.”
The district is anticipating a November referendum on some parts of the plan, but in order to bring one forward, they’ll need recommendations on the facilities plan to be presented to board members by early June.
Comments