GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The number of families pulling their students out of the Green Bay School District has grown this year. Open enrollment numbers show an increase, especially among pre-K through Kindergarten students.
Leah Bergstom’s 8th grade son is one of 142 students that have used open enrollment to leave the Green Bay Public School District this year.
“With no face to face action with the Green Bay School District we decided this was no longer meeting the needs of our family,” said Bergstrom.
In an open records request made by Fox 11, they asked for the District’s enrollment numbers.
Before the pandemic hit, last January, the district had more than 21,600 students. Enrollment dropped by about 1,000 for the start of this school year. Since then, the district has lost about 600 more students.
“When you look at enrollment numbers year over year, the largest enrollment numbers we lost of kids this year were at the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten age range,” Green Bay Schools superintendent Stephen Murley said.
Over the last year, the district lost 630 students in the pre-kindergarten to kindergarten range, about 40% of its total enrollment drop.
“Very understandable if you have a child whose first experience in a virtual classroom you may have looked at that and said I would like to see them start in person on site,” said Murley.
Out of 14 possible reasons for leaving the district, only two reasons grew compared to last year: home schooling and open enrollment.
Last year 25 students left the district to be home schooled. This year 158 students did.
For open enrollment, the district lost 95 students last year. This year it lost 142 students.
As for transferring to private schools that number decreased from 124 students last year to 81 this year.
“I personally happen to believe public education is the best choice for parents to make and in that area if you’re living in the Green Bay area we have the best opportunity for children and families when they make that choice,” said Murley.
While parents chance to go somewhere else next school year starts Monday, Murley is confident Green Bay teachers are the best recruiters to influence families to stay.
Murley said, “helping parents understand those folks will be back there with us the most convincing reason to come back to school with us.”
And while Leah Bergstrom agrees teachers have made the best of the virtual setting, “when I’ve reached out with specific needs or requests they’ve all been really open to that and really supportive,” said Bergrom.
She plans to keep her 8th grader out of Green Bay schools and hopes to open enroll her 6th grader as well.
As for how many families could end up going elsewhere, a few private schools told us they’ve had plenty of interest. One tell us, they’ve had 5 to 6 calls a day from new families looking to enroll.
