Five things to know about the Green Bay School District
Here are a few of the basics to know about northeastern Wisconsin’s biggest school district.
The last school in the Green Bay School District’s consolidation closures, Keller Elementary, was officially sold Sept. 22. But don’t worry: even though it can’t be turned into a school, there’ll still be kids in the hallways.
Keller was sold to Evergreen Theater, a local nonprofit theater company, for $725,000. Evergreen’s Young Actors program was getting too big for its current warehouse space, said Tricia Adams, chair of branding and development for Evergreen.
“This is a big opportunity for us to expand and actually have our own space, so we’re incredibly excited about that,” Adams said.
They’re also planning to lease out part of the building to other nonprofit organizations, particularly arts organizations, Adams said. Those organizations will also be able to use Evergreen’s theatre space.
“The idea is for it to be a whole community organization,” Adams said. “It’s really amazing.”
They’re hoping to be moved in by February, when they plan to have their first show in their new space: “The Sound of Music.”
Keller Elementary was set to be sold back in April. The school board approved an $800,000 offer made by Gary Fairchild, registered agent with F&O Partnership. In July, the district said it anticipated closing the sale before the start of the school year. It’s unclear why the sale fell through.
In March, the district said that in buildings still vacant and under school ownership by July 1, insurance costs would significantly increase. By September, the district said it had been able to modify its coverage so costs were lower. It did not share what those costs were.
The empty building costs the district about $145,000 annually; these costs include expenses like utilities, maintenance and groundskeeping.
