GBAPS board selects CESA 7 for superintendent search

GREEN BAY – Following presentations from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, or WASB, and Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 7 on Sept. 8, the Green Bay Area Public Schools Board of Education voted to enter into a contract with CESA 7 for its superintendent search.

“I like that both of these organizations have had close, prior contact with our district, have helped us in other ways, in a lot of interesting ways, actually. And they both have a deep commitment to public education that is meaningful to me personally, and I just really like that they both know us as a district, and know our community and know our staff and know our students in a way that an outside company might not have at the same level,” GBAPS Board Member Laura McCoy said following the presentations.

“I think both firms offer the hands-on approach that I think was missing from previous searches. I don't want a slate to be pre-picked by a third party for us, because then you're always left wondering, ‘Well, what if? What if their No. 8 would have been one of our three finalists? We don't know, because they only did seven.’ So, I was happy to see that with both firms,” added Andrew Becker.

Lynn Gerlach noted the $10,000 difference in their price.

CESA 7 services were estimated at $14,500, while WASB services might cost $24,500.

“I thought that was pretty important, but so that's one of the reasons that I lean toward CESA 7,” she added. “Another one is I like the idea of the early vetting of candidates right at the beginning, so we don't waste our time or go down rabbit holes. And the other thing is, I have this personal prejudice against lousy surveys and surveys that are just so open-ended that you get a million different pieces of input that really don't tell you anything.”

CESA is a non-profit, regional organization that provides services and support to school districts and acts as a link between districts and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The board selected CESA 7 by a 6-1 vote, with Samantha Meister voting “no.”

CESA presented a potential timeline that listed Round 1 interviews taking place Jan. 27-28.

The new superintendent will replace current GBAPS Superintendent Vicki Bayer, who signed on to fill the role for the 2025-26 school year, after Dr. Claude Tiller, Jr.’s resignation.