GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Next month, a new community committee will start its work in changing Green Bay school boundary lines for the first time in 23 years.
It is part of the district’s right-sizing efforts as it deals with declining enrollment and a budget deficit.
The hope is the work in selecting the members of the committee will be viewed more favorably than the last committee the school board put together.
Earlier this year, 26 community members served on the district’s facilities task force and came up with a recommendation to close 12 buildings, including 11 schools.
Steph Guzman was one of many Green Bay residents who criticized the school district for a lack of diversity on the facilities task force and for poor communication with non-English speaking families.
“I had a lot of opinions, and so I think of my mottos, personally, is if I have a lot of opinions and complaining, then I also need to be part of the solution.”
Guzman is one of 15 community members the school board recently approved to be on the district’s new boundary advisory committee.
The school board made its selections based off a new charter for selecting community committees, which was passed after the criticism of the facilities task force.
“This is a new process and kind of the first test of how we’re going to in the future choose these kinds of committees,” said Laura McCoy, Green Bay’s school board president.
“I think it’s much better than last time for sure,” said Guzman. “I feel like there’s always room for improvement.”
Considering this was such a hot button issue with the last committee, school board members were surprised only 26 people filled out the online application to be on the committee. It was available for 12 days.
“I was expecting maybe twice as many people would apply considering how unhappy some people were with the last,” said McCoy.
Guzman says it is a big commitment and the level of scrutiny last time likely played a role in people’s desire to participate.
She hopes her involvement will lead to reasonable and fair outcomes.
“My goal is to make sure there are enough voices and that we all somehow come up with a medium, because I feel like those are the best outcomes,” said Guzman.
The first meeting of the new committee is Dec. 12.
The plan is to make boundary recommendations to the school board in June.
