GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — More than $3 million is being received by the Green Bay Area Public School District, courtesy of the Department of Education.
It comes after the Trump administration froze more than $5 billion in grant funding for public schools in late June, but then released the funds late last week.
The release of $3.4 million to GBAPS is part of the district’s Title grant funding. The money will be used for various programs that support students.
With those funds now released, it comes as a huge sigh of relief for many Wisconsin schools districts, especially Green Bay.
“These Title funds address the needs of our students that have great needs, beyond special education,” GBAPS Superintendent Vicki Bayer said.
The funds help support literacy coaches, school counselors, social workers and after-school programs. Bayer said these positions and programs are vital for supporting students and parents.
“Those kids deserve it. Our families depend on those services, so it’s about prioritizing what’s important for your community and your district,” Bayer said.
Bayer said the Title grants mostly impact programs and services for their elementary students, providing more hands-on assistance. Cutting such programs at GBAPS was never an option, according to Bayer, but it may have meant trimming somewhere else.
Prior to the freeze, funds were already approved by Congress — meaning districts like Green Bay’s were already planning on the money, especially as every penny counts. The district has been working on a budget deficit for the past three to four years.
“I think it’s the uneasiness of knowing that we might have to expect the unexpected moving forward, and that’s unsettling,” Bayer said.
Bayer said given the new state budget, GBAPS will have to make more cuts moving forward. The Board of Education will discuss what that looks like over the next few months.
The Oshkosh Area School District tells us it is receiving $507,000. The district had a total of $907,609 in delayed funding, with about $400,000 previously released.
Congressman Tony Wied, R-8th District said in a statement about the release of the grant money:
I’m very glad to see these much-needed funds were released in time for the new school year, ensuring our teachers have the resources they need to keep providing the high-quality education public schools across Wisconsin’s 8th District have always delivered.
