GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – We’re learning new details about the Green Bay Area Public School district’s search for a new superintendent.
At their board meeting on Monday evening, district and CESA 7 officials (the organization the district contracted with to help out with the superintendent search) laid out their vision for how they hope the process will unfold.
“Again this is a really really important decision for our district considering the last couple of years,” said board member Alex Mineau.
CESA 7 officials and the Board of Education discussed at length questions that will appear on a survey that goes out to community members. The survey will ask community members about what qualities they would like to see in the district’s next superintendent.
CESA 7 officials said they will incorporate the board’s feedback into a new draft of the survey and present it as an action item for the board to potentially vote on next month.
District officials also said there will be opportunities for community focus groups and other chances for the community to provide feedback before the Board of Education makes their decision.
CESA 7 officials laid out a number of key dates in the superintendent search process:
- Candidates can apply for the position between Dec. 8 and Jan. 23
- CESA 7 will pre-screen selected candidates from Jan. 27 until Feb. 6
- The first round of interviews will take place on Feb. 24, 25, and 26.
- The second round of interviews is March 4, 5, and 6.
- The district will announce their next superintendent on March 11.
- The district will approve the next superintendent’s contract on March 23.
A CESA 7 official told Local 5 News that they’re hoping to hit all of these dates, but they could end up changing.
The Green Bay Area Public School District has had four different superintendents since 2020. Longtime superintendent Michelle Langenfeld retired after the 2019-2020 school year. After less than two years on the job, the district’s next superintendent Steven Murley retired citing personal health issues. Current superintendent Vicki Bayer served as interim superintendent until the district hired Claude Tiller Jr. in the spring of 2023.
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Tiller Jr. resigned less than a year later after making controversial comments on an Atlanta-based talk radio show. Bayer became the interim superintendent again and the Board of Education elevated her to superintendent in December.
Bayer has said that she doesn’t want to be the district’s long-term superintendent and confirmed this sentiment to Local 5 News on Monday night.
Board of Education members stressed the importance of getting the selection right this time around, especially after what’s happened in the district the last five or six years. They said this time around during the search process they’re prioritizing spending more time getting to know the candidates.
“We’re really focused on trying to be much more informed going into the later stages than we were last time,” said board president James Lyerly. “I’m really excited with what they were able to present tonight.”
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The school district will pay CESA 7 about $14,500 to help them with the superintendent search process. This was significantly cheaper than the alternative of contracting with the Wisconsin Association of School Boards for help.
Local 5 News asked Lyerly if he’s confident that they will get the superintendent search right this time around.
“I am as confident as what I see in front of me,” Lyerly said. “I see a plan that matches what we see in other educational institutions like University of Wisconsin Green Bay. There’s always variability, but I think we have touched all the bases and we’re set up for success.’
