GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — On Monday, the Green Bay Board of Education held a work session to review community feedback obtained at last month’s roundtable regarding school safety and security.
“Whatever the Board decides collectively, we will make happen,” said Green Bay Area Public School (GBAPS) District Superintendent Vicki Bayer.
While the Board did not vote Monday on any of the proposed safety measures, it did hear from community members in attendance and deliberate on recommendations like that to install weapon detectors at Green Bay schools.
Several Board members expressed concern that weapon and metal detectors alone will not solve the root issues that lead to school safety concerns.
They agreed with district members who voiced desire for increased mental health support and community-building initiatives within the schools.
“We are doing our best to find different ways to make the school a safer place,” said East High School Sophomore Etta Meister. “And, that takes a lot of trial and error.”
For Meister, the continued conversation around school security may involve trial and error, but it’s worth the effort.
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Following the discovery of a loaded gun in a student’s backpack at Preble High School this September, some community members asked for an increased presence of Student Resource Officers (SROs) at Green Bay schools.
They also recommended closing campuses, enforcing a dress code policy and revisiting the district’s student discipline policy.
Thus far, the district has enforced a clear backpacks only policy for students in grades 6-12 and has implemented a one-week minimum supervision period for suspended students to be monitored upon their return to school.
“It’s getting to the point where [we have to ask], ‘What do we want to prioritize?’” mentioned GBAPS Chief Financial Officer Angie Roble. “’What are we going to be able to do, and what aren’t we going to be able to do?’”
Faced with a projected $3.6 million deficit in its 2025-2025 operating budget, the district will need to evaluate where to allocate funds—and where to make cuts.
As it considers the community’s suggestions to improve school safety, cost is a key factor for the Board. It’s one reason why some Board members say installing weapon detectors may not be the best next step.
Many members wanted additional data on other safety suggestions, like increasing the presence of SROs in the district.
A school dress code and closed campus policy were less discussed items, as multiple Board members voiced it was not an immediate or top priority for improving school safety.
Going forward, parents in the district say there is a need for proactive, rather than reactive, planning.
