Draft
Green Bay Area Public School District
Board of Education
Resolution for the Waiver of Certain School Board or School District Requirements
Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 118.045 and Admin. Code PI 27.03
November 27, 2023
WHEREAS, it is the mission of the Green Bay Area Public School District to educate all students to be college, career and community ready inspired to succeed in our diverse world, and in an effort to achieve that mission the District’s utmost priority is the safety and security of its students, their families and its staff; and
WHEREAS, Wis. Stats. §§ 120.12(1) and 120.44(2) authorize the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education to have the possession, care, control and management of the property and affairs of the school district; and
WHEREAS, Wis. Stat. § 118.045(1) provides that except for limited exemptions, beginning in the year 2000, no public school may commence the school term until September 1; and
WHEREAS, Wis. Stat. § 118.045(3) permits a school board to start the school term prior to September 1 in any school year if the school board requests the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to allow it to start the school term prior to September 1 and the school board includes reasons with its request. Such request can only be granted by the DPI if there are extraordinary reasons for doing so; and
WHEREAS, PI 27.03(5) sets forth the extraordinary reasons for granting a request to commence the school term prior to September 1 including closure of school due to forces of nature, code violations, or environmental orders. “Forces of nature” is defined in PI 27.02(2) as “an event that is outside the control of the school board and could not be avoided by exercise of due care;” and
WHEREAS, PI 27.03(4) requires that a school board’s request be adopted as a written resolution by the school board at a school board meeting that complies with Wis. Stats. §§ 19.83 and 19.84 and that such request include the reasons and any other relevant factors relating to the request for an earlier school start date and when an extraordinary event took place or a chronology of events leading to the request; and
WHEREAS, on May 22, 2023, the National Football League announced that the 2025 NFL draft will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, inside and around iconic Lambeau Field and the Titletown District and subsequently, on November 6, 2023, the NFL announced the dates for the 2025 draft as April 24 through 27, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the awarding of the 2025 NFL draft to Green Bay and the dates chosen for such draft constitute “forces of nature” and an event that is outside the control of the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education and could not be avoided by exercise of due care; and Draft
WHEREAS, Green Bay, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 107,000 and the Green Bay Area Public School District is comprised of 42 schools throughout the City of Green Bay, Village of Allouez, Village of Bellevue and Town of Scott with approximately 19,000 students attending these 42 schools; and
WHEREAS, it is predicted that approximately 300,000 people will attend the 2025 draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and
WHEREAS, in cities in which the NFL draft has been held, substantial disruptions to various logistics have occurred, including short term housing and lodging, public transportation, road closures, increased traffic and restricted and limited parking; and
WHEREAS the NFL draft will result in local law enforcement reallocating human resources to the law enforcement needs of the NFL draft causing law enforcement resources not to be available to public school districts for the day-to-day safety and security operations of the district including but not limited to the support of school resource officers; and
WHEREAS, in cities that hold large spectator events, such events can attract criminal activity and increase crimes against the vulnerable, including an increase in human trafficking and out-of-town traffickers bringing people into a city, excessive alcohol use and sale and use of illegal drugs;
WHEREAS, the Kansas City School District, comprising of 35 schools and approximately 14,000 students with a municipality population of approximately 500,000, did not provide in-person instruction during the dates around the 2023 draft, citing to increased traffic during the event that would result in students being late or absent due to road closures or lack of transportation; and
WHEREAS, the Green Bay Area Public School District has customs and norms associated with its instructional calendar, including the holding of Spring Break the last full week of March; and
WHEREAS, data indicates that the highest attendance rates for students in the Green Bay Area Public School District are at the start of the school year and the lowest attendance rates occur in May and June of the school year;
WHEREAS, should the Green Bay Area Public School District determine based on safety and security needs to cancel in-person learning during the dates of the NFL draft, doing so would unreasonably extend the instructional calendar into the later part of June when students historically have been released for summer recess and attendance rates are at the lowest;
WHEREAS, to avoid an unreasonably late ending of the school year, the Board of Education has determined that to optimize learning for students, that the 2024-2025 school year shall commence prior to September 1, 2024, in order to accommodate the additional days of no instruction due to the forces of nature of the 2025 NFL draft event outsider of the control of the Board of Education that could not be avoidable by exercise of due care.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that:
On November 27, 2023, the Green Bay Area Public School District held an open meeting, in satisfaction of Wis. Stats. §§ 19.83 and 19.84 and Admin Code PI 27.03(4).
In compliance with Admin Code PI 27.03(3) and (4) and for the reasons set forth herein, the Board of Education hereby directs the Superintendent of Schools and Learning or their designee to apply, on behalf of the Board of Education, to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a waiver Draft of the following: waiver of the requirements of Wis. Stat.§ 118.045(1) and the administrative rules promulgated by the Department.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that execution of this Resolution is conclusive evidence of the Board of Education’s approval of this action and the authority granted herein at a duly-noticed meeting of the Board of Education held on November 27, 2023.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY: The School Board of the Green Bay Area Public School District.
