GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — On Tuesday the Boundary Adjustment Advisory Committee unveiled a proposed scenario for boundary changes within the Green Bay Area Public School District. This proposal, aimed at optimizing resources, was presented to the public for the first time for feedback.
The consulting firm, Woolpert, presented the proposed boundary adjustments at a public meeting Tuesday afternoon at the Neville Public Museum and will host a second meeting at 6:00 pm. The early session is being live-streamed on the Board's YouTube channel.
The 3rd proposed boundary adjustment comes after analysis by the Boundary Adjustment Advisory Committee. The plan is to address budget deficits, aging facilities, and declining enrollment. The first two proposals did not receive widespread community support, prompting the Board to develop a new plan.
Plan C, the latest proposal, introduces several changes to the district's landscape:
- Construction of a new elementary school: A new 600-student west side elementary school is proposed for the Kennedy site. This consolidation involves merging MacArthur with Keller/Kennedy Elementary School.
- Elementary school closures: Elmore Elementary is slated for closure, with its attendance boundary to be split between Chappell Elementary and Lincoln Elementary.
Boundary extensions and modifications:
- The Beaumont Elementary boundary would extend east to the Fox River, accommodating students from Elmore. Tank families would be given the option to remain at Lincoln.
- Langlade Elementary would be consolidated into Doty Elementary School (Langlade to close).
- Modifications are proposed for the Sullivan Elementary/Nicolet boundary, the Danz Elementary/Martin Elementary boundary, and the Webster Elementary/Langlade Elementary boundary to optimize district resources and student distribution.
Andrew Decker is a GBAPS board member who says "plan C' is a more modest approach" "We have to find that right balance," he says. "It's an intermediate step. And I think I'm happy to see it because I did think that other plans were a bit drastic."
Jessi Roherty has three children enrolled at Langlade Elementary School and was surprised to hear her school was on the list to close under the current proposal.
"There's going to be a lot of unhappy parents about this change. It's a huge change that will affect all of our kids, our families, our staff, and our principal, and I understand the reasoning behind it. But I think more options need to be looked at," she says.
While the primary focus of Plan C is on elementary schools, adjustments to the boundary changes will have downstream effects on secondary schools.
The unveiling of Plan C marks the beginning of a period for public feedback and discourse. The Board invites community members to participate in the upcoming public meetings to provide input and insights. Following the feedback phase, the Board will consider revisions and potentially proceed with the adoption of Plan C at a meeting on June 10th.
The second hearing is open to the public at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday or you can watch it on the board's YouTube channel here.
Next Steps:
The next committee meeting will be held on May 28th to review community feedback on the Plan C proposal and developed
recommendations.
On June 10th the board will present recommendations to the district.
