GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Green Bay school board was set to vote on a plan for the district’s future in less than two weeks, but that could be changing after board members expressed they were not ready to make a decision on the proposed plan, which would close 12 buildings.
A task force recommended the Green Bay Public School District close 12 buildings to address declining enrollment.
At Monday’s school board meeting, some members shared their concerns about having to vote on June 5.
“I am not prepared to say I approve this plan. I am not prepared to say throw the plan out and start over. I don’t approve any of it,” said board member Lynn Gerlach. “I don’t feel bound to have everything done by June 5.”
Others feel urgency is important.
“If we don’t set some sort of deadline there to have a significant plan moving forward, this is just going to keep drawing it out,” said board member Bryan Milz.
On Tuesday, Green Bay Schools COO Josh Patchak said the board can accept all, none or parts of the recommendation on June 5.
“I think that the community is not quite ready for that and frankly we as administration have some work to do to make sure that the task force recommendation is possible,” said Patchak.
Patchak says certain recommendations will need to be decided on by January if the district considers a referendum in 2024.
Members of the Latino community formed a group called NEWLET that has concerns regarding the current recommendations.
“The plan in general was going to literally have a lot of the Latino population going to the same school,” said NEWLET member Stephanie Guzman. “They weren’t going to be as integrated as we hoped.”
Interim Superintendent Vicki Bayer believes more should be done to make a decision.
“Initiating [a request for proposal] and having an equity analysis done, so that we can comfortably come to the board and say the feasibility of this part of the recommendation is thumbs up, we can do this,” said Bayer.
Patchak says they have not yet issued a request for proposal to conduct a survey but believes this could happen soon.
“They look at how to redraw the boundaries to achieve the goals of the facilities plan through the lens of an equity tool,” said Patchak.
Guzman says hearing the district is discussing this is a win.
“I feel listened to. I feel validated,” said Guzman. “That is all we wanted from the beginning.”
Patchak says he anticipates the board to vote on certain aspects of the proposal on June 5, but other parts may be pushed back.
Green Bay Schools will be holding a public listening session on Wednesday at Washington Middle School at 4 p.m.
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