GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education accepted the retirement of Superintendent of Schools and Learning Stephen Murley on Monday night.
Murley requested that the Board accept his retirement due to personal health reasons that he and his family have determined require his full attention.
“The Board of Education wishes to extend our gratitude to Mr. Murley for his service to our students, staff and families,” Board President Eric Vanden Heuvel said in a press release. “Mr. Murley joined the school district during a pandemic and led through the challenges and constantly changing circumstances. We wish him all the best as he understandably needs to focus on his health at this time.”
Murley provided this statement in a press release:
“I wish to thank the students, families, staff, Board, and community for the opportunity to serve them. A school district is measured by the commitment of each of these groups to our children and their achievement. Success requires hard work, dedication, leadership, and vision. This district has shown extraordinary commitment through the most difficult period of time ever experienced in public education. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all for their support of the district and our children during my term as Superintendent. There is much to be proud of in the Green Bay Area Public School District and I am humbled and grateful to have worked with all of you and to have served the families and students of Green Bay.”
Murley said in a statement to staff that he was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis and continues to receive medical care for complications as a result.
"After conferring with my family, for my health and also in the best interest of the District, we decided that retiring was the best course of action while I focus on my recovery," Murley said.
The Board of Education appointed Deputy Superintendent Vicki Bayer to serve as Interim Superintendent of Schools and Learning, effective immediately.
Bayer joined the District in 2013 as an associate principal at Lombardi Middle School. Since that time, she has served as the first principal of Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill, as the director of Student Services, associate superintendent of PK-16 Programming, and as deputy superintendent. She has 32 years in public education, serving most of those years as classroom teacher, department chair, and program coordinator working in both rural and suburban, large school settings. Bayer has been awarded the National At-Risk Education Network Anthony Dallmann Jones Award for Child Advocacy, Outagamie County Exemplary Service Award, Neenah Police Department “Friend in Education” award and Teacher of the Year.
In the next few weeks the Board of Education will begin discussions regarding a timeline for the superintendent search.
