Lori Blakeslee

The Special Board Meeting convened first in a Closed Session pursuant to Wisconsin Statute 19.85 (1) (c) for Superintendent Candidate Review and Board Deliberation. Following the closed session, the open session addressed action items, including the authorization to issue a new Superintendent contract, resulting in a motion to offer a contract to Michael Hernandez to serve as the next Superintendent of the Green Bay Area Public School District. The meeting concluded with an adjournment.

The meeting included student council reports highlighting activities across four schools, such as an activity fair, play rehearsals, academic decathlon team advancements to state, and various club successes including FBLA and HOSA competitions. Several student concerns were raised during the public forum, primarily regarding the mandated 30-minute lunch periods negatively impacting student decompression time and social interaction, and issues with the newly implemented $8 million student ID card scanner system causing erroneous absence reports. A parent also questioned the purpose of the advisory period given the shortened lunch time. Key action items involved the approval of the consent agenda and the adoption of a resolution supporting We Love Our Public Schools Week, which reaffirmed the board's dedication to equitable, high-quality public education and urged elected officials to provide adequate funding.

The document encompasses proceedings from two separate sessions held on the same day: a Special Board Meeting and a Work Session. During the Special Board Meeting, the board approved motions related to employment matters, specifically approving staff employment and staff resignation, both carried unanimously or with one abstention. The Work Session focused on Strategic Planning updates related to academic excellence, emphasizing collaboration to build teacher capacity and achieve goals by 2030. Discussions included defining grade-level learning, which involves engaging students in grade-appropriate tasks aligned with standards, ensuring materials are aligned, and requiring individual accountability. Specific strategic actions on scheduled check-ins with school leaders and learning walks were highlighted. Public forum included comments from students expressing concerns regarding misinformation, lack of funding for esports and technology, block scheduling, clear backpack policies, shorter lunch times, and feelings of being unheard by the administration. Several speakers expressed frustration over the lack of administrative follow-through on previous concerns.

The meeting focused on two action items. The first action item involved awarding the bid for Lenovo 300E Gen 4 Chromebooks and white glove service to YS Technologies, totaling $1,425,275.50, in addition to Chrome OS management licenses for $128,649.50. The second action item concerned awarding the bid for L13 Lenovo Yoga Gen 2 certified staff device refresh to CDWG, amounting to $2,130,000. A member inquired about the urgency of the votes, learning that approving the bids immediately would result in savings exceeding $100,000 compared to postponing the decision. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

The open session commenced after a pause for a moment of silence to honor the life of Alex Prey, a 2006 graduate of Prebble High School, described as conscientious, civic-minded, and dedicated to service. During the open forum, representatives from the student councils of East, Ashwaubenon, Bayport, Jal, and Prebble provided updates on various activities including choir competitions, academic decathlon placements, basketball games, DECA districts, and community building events. Several community members spoke, offering tributes to Alex Prey, emphasizing his kindness, leadership, generosity, and commitment to helping others, especially veterans, often quoting testimonials from former students and colleagues. One speaker also addressed the acquisition of the Wiquia School property, proposing a lease agreement with Holy Cross School for a dollar a year, offering an additional $150,000 to the district in exchange for guarantees regarding student population control.