GBAPS board votes to offer Bayer superintendent contract

GREEN BAY – During a Nov. 11 special meeting, the Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS) Board of Education unanimously voted to offer GBAPS Interim Superintendent Vicki Bayer a contract for the superintendent position for the 2025-26 school year.  

GBAPS President Laura McCoy said that it was a procedural vote to open up negotiation/discussions.

“It's just a first step. After this vote tonight, we will have our outside counsel enter into negotiations, if indeed any are needed at all, but then we will come back as a board once we've seen a new contract and agree on a new contract, come back and vote on it in our next school board meeting to finalize it,” she explained.

GBAPS Vice President James Lyerly said he was proud to offer the contract to Bayer.

Adding that “twice in the last several years this district has had a vacancy in leadership, and in lieu of reaching out and finding someone to steward the district for a year or so, Vicki has taken it upon herself twice now to step up and perform duties that far exceed what we would have expected for someone coming in to execute some sort of contract for a year.  So, I appreciate the board acting in this matter and look forward to the negotiations,” he said.

“The Board of Education has been incredibly fortunate to have a strong leader in Vicki Bayer who has led the district as interim superintendent through the return to in-person learning during the pandemic, a significant budget deficit, boundary changes and school consolidations, and two referendums,” McCoy stated in a district press release.

“The board is grateful to Ms. Bayer for her willingness to serve as superintendent for an additional year, while the Board of Education and District administration complete important ongoing efforts.”

The release also stated that “extending the superintendent contract to Vicki Bayer for the 2025-26 school year provides stability for the district as it completes transformative work for a brighter future” adding that the following items were scheduled to be addressed:

• Development of a strategic plan, which will provide a roadmap and measurable goals for the District for the next three to five years. 
• Professional development to support implementation of a new curriculum.
• Completion of the 2022 and 2024 referendum projects to provide engaging and appropriate learning spaces for students.
• Finalizing school consolidations. 

The board will vote on a 2025-26 superintendent contract at the Nov. 25 board meeting.

In the fall of 2025, the board will start the process of hiring a successor.

GBAPS Board member Kou Lee was absent for the vote.