Parents debate importance of this Green Bay school ahead of possible closure; meeting set for Monday

Danielle DuClos, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·3 min read
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GREEN BAY — The Green Bay School District's online school option, the Katherine Johnson Academy of Enriched Virtual Learning, might be closing after only three years.

Enrollment has declined at the school since the pandemic, and a pandemic-measure that allowed out-of-district students to enroll is no longer in effect. That's also resulted in lower enrollment. When the school first opened in 2021, it had 154 students enrolled, according to data from the Department of Public Instruction.

It currently has 47 students with an annual operating cost of $950,000, according to a memo from district administrators.

The school serves grades K-7 and is slated to expand to eighth grade next school year. Deputy Superintendent Vicki Bayer provided the school board with three options, given the high costs and few students:

  • Maintain the current operations and expand instruction to eighth grade;

  • Reduce the grades to 6-8;

  • Close the school and no longer offer online schooling for grades K-8.

The board is expected to vote on one of the three options at its next meeting Nov. 27.

For some students, the school is a lifeline

Sara Erdman Savage says KJ Academy provided her daughter a with a school free from bullying. Her daughter previously attended Sullivan Elementary where her mother said she was kicked, hit and spat on.

"Since she's moved to Katherine Johnson Academy, she has thrived," Savage said during the public forum at the Nov. 13 board meeting. "Her grades have gotten better. She's not bullied. She's not pushed around. She's accepted for who she is."

The plan to potentially close KJ Academy was presented at the Nov. 13 board meeting where seven people spoke in support of keeping it open, including parents and teachers. Another three people submitted written testimonials online.

More on school closures: When will the Green Bay School Board decide the fate of the remaining schools recommended to close?

Elizabeth Steffel has a daughter with high functioning autism who attends KJ Academy. Her daughter experienced prolific bullying to the point her daughter became suicidal, she said at meeting. Steffel even decided to homeschool for a while.

But after a year, she was no longer able to homeschool and placed her daughter in KJ Academy. Her daughter's grades improved, and she started to make friends. The online format worked better for her, Steffel said.

"If she had stayed in (in-person) school, she would probably be dead ... We finally found this school, and we've been here for three months, and you might close it?"

While also providing an alternative environment from a traditional classroom, the school gives students flexibility to attend school no matter where they are. Chronically ill students or those who travel a lot can still be enrolled in school through the academy.

What did school board members say?

Board members Andrew Becker and Bryan Milz said they're in support of keeping KJ Academy open at the board meeting. Member Lynn Gerlach said she would support keeping the school open and expanding it to eighth grade.

"We don't want to maintain it and just see if it can sink or swim," Gerlach said. "We want to make this bigger and better."

Vice President James Lyerly said he acknowledges the board told the district that everything was on the table for possible cuts as the district works to close the budget deficit. But to him, he sees KJ Academy as "extraordinarily different."

"I see this as an equitable approach to delivering core curriculum," he said.

When and where is the school board meeting?

The board is expected to vote on the future of KJ Academy at the Nov. 27 board meeting.

It will be held in-person at 6 p.m. in the district headquarters, 200 S. Broadway, in the board room on the third floor. Community members can also stream the meeting online from the district's YouTube channel: youtube.com/@gbapsstream5809/streams

Members of the public are able to speak during the public forum portion of the meeting and can sign up to speak in-person at the meeting or online.

Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Katherine Johnson Academy of Enriched Virtual Learning in Green Bay may close