GBAPS Board of Education looks at process for naming new school

GREEN BAY – During its Nov. 25 regular board meeting, the Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS) Board of Education heard an overview of the process for naming the new school that will be constructed on the existing Kennedy Elementary property.

“Student enrollment at the new school will include all of Kennedy Elementary; all of Keller, which is already consolidated into Kennedy; and a portion of the MacArthur Elementary School Board. Policy 940 outlines the procedures for the naming of district facilities,” said GBAPS Interim Superintendent Vicki Bayer.

“Policy reads that if a new district facility is constructed to replace more than one existing facility, the process to be used for naming the new district facility shall be the procedure described in section 3d of policy 940 except that the committee shall consider and the board may consider retaining and or merging the names of the district facilities that are being replaced.

“Section 3d outlines the process. It begins with the board president appointing a committee, and it calls out specifically who should be a part of that committee. The committee shall be advisory, and the task of the committee shall be to solicit, evaluate and prioritize possible names.”

Bayer said that the committee’s final recommendation must include three proposed names, with no more than one memorializing a deceased person.

“The board will publicize and hold a public hearing on the committee's recommendations before making a final vote.”

Bayer presented the following timeline:

Jan. 3 — board president appoints a naming committee

Jan. 6 – March 3 — committee meets

March 10 — committee presents proposal to the board

March 17 — public hearing is held before regular board meeting

March 17 — potential vote during board meeting

Bayer said that the facility naming advisory committee members would include at least one board member, one administrator, at least one staff member, four individuals from the attendance area and up to three students from the attendance area.

Following a Nov. 20 public information event, the board also got a look at the proposed design for the new school.

“So design, as you'll see tonight, has been ongoing, and it will continue through spring of 2025 phase one construction. And really, again, I would say this project may not be as phased, but we're identifying two summers of construction, starting spring-summer of 2025  and carrying through, really, the fall of 2026; being ready for the 2026-27 school year,” said GBAPS COO Cale Pulczinski.

“As we work through design and plan, this will become more detailed, and we'll be able to provide some more detailed updates on that going forward.”

The current plans feature a 600-student capacity facility including six four classroom pods for Grades K-5.

The school would be heated and cooled through a geothermal system, anticipated to save money for the district through energy efficiency.

Another feature of the new facility offers a separate drive-through area for student pick-up.

The facility was also designed across one level to ensure equity for all students.