GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Green Bay Area Public School District is rolling out new security measures starting Monday, following an incident earlier this month where a student brought a gun to Preble High School.
The updated plan requires all middle and high school students to use clear backpacks on campus. District officials say the goal is to increase visibility of what students bring to school and discourage unsafe behavior.
In addition, the district is implementing stricter consequences for students involved in fighting, assault, or possessing weapons. Offending students will be immediately removed from school property and given a multi-day suspension. During that suspension, they will be barred from all district campuses and school-sponsored events, and law enforcement will likely be involved.
Green Bay Schools Superintendent Vicki Bayer said feedback from students helped confirm the district was moving in the right direction.
“Going to Preble this morning was a boost of confidence that the right decision was made, and we're headed in the right direction,” Bayer said. “I just needed to hear it from the kids — that they understood why we’re doing this and what it means for them.”Additional steps include the possibility of removing transfer students from their current placement and assigning them to an alternative or virtual school for the rest of the year if they’re involved in unsafe acts. Repeat offenders could face expulsion and would not be allowed to return to the same school.
When students return from suspension, they will enter a week-long transition period with strict supervision, limited privileges, and daily check-ins.
District leaders say the measures are designed to hold students accountable while still offering a path to success.
Here's a glance at the latest security changes:
Effective Monday, September 22, 2025, the District is clarifying and modifying its safety protocols in response to any unsafe behaviors that may take place in our schools amongst high school students.
Students who engage in or contribute to unsafe acts (fighting, assault, possession/use of weapons, etc.) will be removed from the school and grounds.
Law enforcement will likely be involved.
A school-based consequence will be determined, which will always include a multi-day suspension at minimum.
For the days that a student is suspended, a no-trespass requirement will be enforced prohibiting the student from being on any GBAPS school campus during the school day or during any school-sponsored events. Additional charges stemming from police involvement will be communicated through law enforcement.
If a student is enrolled in the school through intra-district transfer (IDT) or an administrative placement (ATR), that enrollment will be officially reviewed and likely revoked and a transition plan will be developed for the student to attend school in their attendance area or a placement in a virtual or alternative school setting for the duration of the school year. The student will not be allowed to reapply for IDT or ATR for future years.
These behaviors are a significant code-of-conduct violation and will also invoke immediate suspensions from athletic teams and activities.
For students that engage in persistent unsafe acts, a recommendation for expulsion will be made. No student who has engaged in persistent unsafe acts will be returning to the school they are currently attending.
Upon returning to school, students will engage in a minimum 1-week transition period after the suspension is served. This transition period will begin and end with a re-entry meeting with parents/guardians.
Terms of the 1-week transition period will include:
Delayed hall passing with supervision.
Supervised lunch in a small setting.
Separate Advisory Period.
Attendance monitoring resulting in any interruption due to a late arrival, absence, or skipping class will restart the 5-day period.
Student day begins in the office.
The student will be escorted from the building.
In recognition that we are serving students and want the student’s return to school to be successful, there will be opportunities for the student to continue to build and maintain relationships with staff and students at school.
This plan demands additional accountability of students who engage in unsafe acts, honors our mission of educating all students, requires students to earn lost privileges, and ensures active participation by parents/guardians. It is important to note that consequences outlined above may be modified for students with disabilities to comply with state and federal laws.
