GBAPS Superintendent asks lawmakers for increased funding

GREEN BAY, WI—(WGBW)— As lawmakers in the Joint Finance Committee continue debating and scrutinizing the state’s next biennial budget, Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS) Superintendent Vicki Bayer pleads for increased school funding.

Bayer sent a letter to the Joint Finance Committee last week and another to local lawmakers this week, asking them to increase funding for all special education programs, not just the high-cost special education expenses. She asks legislators to increase the per-pupil adjustment to school districts by $325 per pupil.

“This amount does not keep up with inflation, causing school districts to continue to cut staff, close schools, and end programming, which ultimately negatively impacts students. The only other option is to continue to seek voter support through an operational referendum, pushing the burden of funding schools on property owners,” she wrote.

In a letter on Monday (June 16, 2025) that Bayer addressed specifically to the lawmakers in the Greater Green Bay Area, she repeated the request.

“Please consider modifying the JFC proposal to include 60% reimbursement for all special education (sum sufficient), and provide state aid for the $325 per pupil increase for both years. While this is far less than what is needed to ensure that GBAPS does not need to make cuts that will impact students, it would be a significant improvement over what is currently proposed,” the letter reads.

School districts, like GBAPS, often have to guess how much funding they will receive from the state when budgeting for the next school year. This can lead to shortfalls and reduced programming.