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Students and parents tell Green Bay school board they feel unheard over esports funding, scheduling and safety
Summary
At the district's Jan. 12 work session, student Jackson DeGrave and parent Jeff DeGrave urged the board to act on broken commitments, citing unmet esports funding promises, concerns about block scheduling and reduced lunch/open-campus rules, and perceived gaps in behavior supports and program access.
Jackson DeGrave, a Preble High School student, told the Green Bay Area Public School District board at its Jan. 12 work session that repeated promises to students "haven't been followed through with" and described personal frustration with a lack of district follow-up. He said district leaders had pledged support for esports but "I've not seen 1 dime put towards esports," and that he raised "over $300" himself for a charity event that had little public outreach.
DeGrave also criticized proposed or adopted operational changes, saying "none of us asked for" block scheduling and describing the district's clear-backpack and scanning policies as making him "scared to go to school every day because the clear backpacks are a reminder that no 1 can be trusted." He said reduced lunch time and the loss of open campus lunch would further harm students' sense of trust and well-being.
Parent Jeff DeGrave echoed those concerns, asking the board how decisions about student supports are made "when no 1 spends any time in their class, in their hallways, at their lunches" and noting delays in promised gifted-and-talented services. He raised equity questions about activity funding, saying athletic budgets appear to be prioritized over activities such as esports, DECA and FFA, and asked why a YMCA program serves fewer than 10% of elementary students.
Both speakers pressed the board for clearer responses and follow-up. Jeff DeGrave said parents are repeatedly told their concerns "go nowhere" and urged the board to re-engage with families; Jackson DeGrave closed by asking the board to "do better for the students, not just yourselves."
The remarks were delivered during the public forum portion of the Jan. 12 work session and were followed by the board's strategic planning presentation. The board did not record an on-the-spot response to the speakers' requests during the public comment period.
