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Board approves open-enrollment space designations after debate over special-education placements
Summary
The Green Bay Area Public School District Board voted to approve open-enrollment space designations for 2025–26 despite objections from two board members who said the designations limit access for students with special needs.
The Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education voted to approve the district's open-enrollment space designation for the 2025–26 school year after a contentious discussion about access for students with special education needs.
Board member Andrew Becker said he would vote no, arguing the designation effectively tells surrounding districts that students with special needs cannot enroll here. "My no vote isn't a reflection that I think this isn't perhaps the best available thing that staff could have offered here. It is a it reflects my position that we need to do better and all districts need to do better than to all tell each other that students with special needs can't come in," Becker said during the meeting.
Board member Rick Crossen agreed with Becker's concern and urged the board to identify and address the factors keeping the district from accepting more special-education open-enrollment students. "I think we should look at whatever the factors are that are preventing us or causing this position to be taken or proposed, and look at all of those variables that feed into that decision," Crossen said. "The board should then... help the district figure out a way to make it happen."
Despite those objections, the motion to approve the open-enrollment space designation carried. The board clerk read the roll-call results: Becker — no; McCoy — yes; Liarly — yes; Mills — yes; Gerlach — yes; Crossen — no; Lee — yes. The district recorded the motion as carried with a majority in favor.
The board discussion focused on policy and capacity, not on changes to budget or specific program funding. Board members who supported the designation did not speak at length in the transcript about programmatic changes tied to the decision. No formal amendment to the open-enrollment rules or immediate plan to expand special-education capacity was adopted during the meeting.
The vote concludes the board action on open-enrollment space for 2025–26, while some members signaled they intend to pursue strategies to broaden access for students with special needs in future sessions.
