GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Two elementary schools will close at the end of this school year, the Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) Board of Education voted Monday.
The board first voted to close Wequiock Elementary in late August, and closures of Tank Elementary School and Keller Elementary School have been proposed for months, in the wake of GBAPS dealing with a budget deficit and shrinking enrollment.
“I have to make decisions based around 1,950 kids,” Superintendent Claude Tiller Jr. said.
“A once in a generation opportunity to really fix concerns with this,” Board Member Bryan Milz said. “This is the second domino to move into it, this gives us an opportunity to look at making sure we have students in consistent buildings throughout.”
The board first voted unanimously to close Tank Elementary.
“If the students were saying to the teachers ‘I don’t want to move, I don’t want to move’ that would be a little bit different,” Tiller said. The students are kind of ready to move, the building was built in 1939 so it’s a little outdated, lots of things to do, we want to move students into a better situation.”
And then the 6-1 vote to close Keller was next.
“Everything will look and be better for the kids,” Tiller said. “I guarantee, or I wouldn’t be in my seat.”
Tiller said the moves will save the district roughly $2 million dollars a year by cutting duplicate staff and building maintenance. However, it’s cause for concern for some area residents.
“I think we’re going to lose a solid rock in our neighborhood,” Green Bay Alderperson Mark Steuer said. “I guess if that’s the way it’s gotta be, then that’s the way it’s gotta be but I’m just speaking on behalf of the building itself, the students, parents, people who have gone here for many years.”
Steuer addressed the board with what he believes could be the impact of losing Keller, which is in his district. Board member Andrew Becker shared that concern as the lone vote against the recommendation.
“I think we’ve not exhausted the possibility of what- could we put something else into Keller,” Becker said.
Tiller said the district is not anticipating additional closings this year, as outlined by the task force recommendation. He also said the district had been facing a budget deficit next school year of $36 million, but it has since been trimmed to $7.7 million.
Click here to read the Board of Education’s task force recommendations.
