GBAPSD
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — School district leaders are inviting Green Bay residents to be a part of the conversation about how to confront an ongoing budget deficit.
Public meetings will be held next week. Students, staff and community members are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions:
- Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. in the East High School commons
- Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Southwest High School commons
At these meetings, officials will discuss what factors have led to the shortfall and what has already been done to try to stabilize the district’s finances. Guests can learn more about the immediate and long-term challenges GBAPS is facing, ask questions and “help shape potential cost-saving measures that could impact schools, programs and services.”
According to GBAPS, factors largely outside of the district’s control have caused the deficit, including:
- 17 consecutive years without a cost-of-living adjustment for Wisconsin public schools
- Declining student enrollment
- An unmet state commitment to special education funding, with a state commitment of 42% in 2025-26, but recent DPI guidance suggesting funding may reach only 35%
- Unfunded and underfunded mandates, including requirements for multilingual learners, ADA compliance, ACT 20 implementation and special education services
GBAPS said it has “already taken substantial and difficult steps” to battle the budget, such as:
- School consolidations
- Staffing reductions
- Strategic delays of purchases and the cancellation of vendor contracts
- Health benefit restructuring
- Long-term investments enabled by the 2024 referendum, resulting in staffing and energy-efficiency savings
- Operational savings through reductions in departmental budgets
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