Green Bay Reporter

In light of the Green Bay School District's persistent struggles in keeping all its schools operational, Congressman Mike Gallagher has voiced his concerns about the condition of Wisconsin schools. Recently, the Green Bay School Board proposed the closure of 12 schools, citing low enrollment, operational expenses and a budget deficit as the primary reasons, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported.

“The situation unfolding within the Green Bay Area Public School District highlights a bigger concern: Wisconsin’s education system is in crisis" Gallagher said. "Despite schools receiving billions of dollars in pandemic relief, our kids (who lost years of learning due to unscientific school closures) are falling further behind. Business as usual will not work. We need bold reform to revitalize Wisconsin as an educational superpower, including (1) returning to science-backed methods of teaching reading; (2) realigning incentives to keep excellent teachers in the classroom; (3) modernizing the education bureaucracy to make choice work; (4) funding students fairly; and (5) creating 529 savings accounts for blue-collar apprenticeships, in partnership with our awesome technical colleges. Parents deserve answers not just on the specifics of this plan for school closures, but also on the broader plan to prevent the continued erosion of our educational system."

On June 5, the board made decisions regarding four resolutions proposed by the Facility Master Plan Task Force. These resolutions consisted of various suggestions such as several school closures, repurposing of schools, adjustments to school boundaries, construction of a new elementary school, enhanced security measures at multiple high schools and more. Among these resolutions, three were successfully passed, while the fourth one concerning Tank Elementary School was temporarily postponed, according to WBAY.

In 2021, Gallagher released "Wisconsin 2030: The Education Path to Prosperity Within the Decade," a comprehensive proposal consisting of eight ideas aimed at rectifying Wisconsin's education system. It emphasizes the significance of student literacy, recruitment of skilled educators, equitable distribution of student funding, the broadening of school choice and more. 

"To make Wisconsin work, we need to save our schools," Gallagher writes in his proposal. "We must turn Wisconsin into an educational superpower by 2030. Our revival depends on it. Here is our path forward."