GREEN BAY (NBC26) — At the school board meeting Monday night, the Green Bay community asked the board to spare the Fine Arts Institute, as the district looks to cut programming amid a possible multi-million dollar budget deficit.
- The school says it could face a budget deficit of up to $32 million in the 2027-2028 school year.
- The East High School Fine Arts Institute Program could be one of the programs on the chopping block.
- The district is also considering freezing staff salaries and cutting some employee benefits.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Monday's school board meeting was a packed house, as community members passionately spoke up.
Most of them asked the district to save the East High School Fine Arts Institute Program, as the board prepares to make budget-saving decisions.
“I found a personality and a voice through the visual and performing arts," Mikayla Powers, a current student in the program, said. "It’s very important that we have this for more people of color."
The program, which started in 2011, offers an arts-focused education experience for students.
Rissel and Yaina Peguero Almonte were among the first students in the program and spoke in support on Monday.
“Flash forward 10 years, and we are now successful musicians," Rissel said.
The institute could be one of the things on the chopping block, as the board decides how to cover a possible multi-million dollar budget deficit.
“For many students it's the reason they show up, a place they belong and a place that they grow," Charlie Brawner, a parent with kids in the program, said.
The district says the deficit is due to limited state funding and declining enrollment.
“You didn’t create the crisis, but how you respond to it will define what the district stands for," one parent said during public comment.
The district is considering cutting arts, music and advanced education programs, as well as teacher benefits and raises. Green Bay Public Schools are currently operating on a $5 million deficit, but by 2028, that could raise to $32 million, according to the district.
The district says they're conducting a study on whether the institute is worth the investment.
There were also multiple teachers who spoke in support of the Income Protection Plan on Monday night, which protects employee income when they're diagnosed with chronic or severe illnesses, or have long-term disabilities.
