GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Green Bay Area Public School District is looking at closing nearly a dozen schools, redrawing boundaries, and more.
The school board was set to vote on a plan for the district’s future on June 5.
That date now could be changing after board members expressed they were not ready, and community members shared that concern.
A task force recommended the Green Bay Public School district close 12 buildings to address declining enrollment, with a plan they’re calling Schema 12.
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…I don’t feel bound to have everything done by June 5,” says Board Member Lynn Gerlach.
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,” says Board Member, Bryan Milz.
On Tuesday, Green Bay Schools COO Josh Patchak says, on June 5 the board can accept all, none, or parts of the recommendation.
“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,” says 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, they weren’t going to be as integrated as we hoped,” says NEWLET Member, Stephanie Guzman.
Interim Superintendent Vicki Bayer believes more should be done to make a decision.
“Initiating an RFP 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,” says 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,” says Patchak.
Guzman says hearing the school is discussing this is a win.
“I feel listened to, I feel validated…that is all we wanted from the beginning,” says Guzman.
Patchak says he does anticipate the board to vote on certain aspects of Schema 12 on June 5, but other parts may be pushed back.
Green Bay Schools will be holding a public listening session on Wednesday May 24 at Washington Middle School at 4 p.m.
