GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With one candidate knocking on doors and the other holding press conferences, the Green Bay mayoral candidates are narrowing in on their strategies ahead of election day.
The topic of education entered the race.
Current Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich discussed the issue of funding in the Green Bay Area Public School District Monday afternoon, specifically the impact of private school vouchers on public education.
“My opponent, Chad Weininger, voted to create the statewide voucher program, which has had an incredibly negative fiscal effect on our schools here in the city of Green Bay and the Green Bay school district,” says Genrich.
The program Genrich is referencing allows families to use taxpayer dollars to pay for the school of their choosing, which includes private or charter schools.
Challenger Chad Weininger responded to Genrich, stating he believes certain opportunities should be shared.
“Parents have to make the best decisions for their children, and low income families should have the same opportunities to make those decisions that wealthier families have to make,” says Weininger.
Weininger also added that this is not a mayoral issue.
“The reality of this is that Eric Genrich keeps on bringing up state issues and federal issues, and if he wants to run for State Assembly, he should run for State Assembly or run for school board. But the fact of the matter is, Eric has failed on the last four years on roads, on keeping the community safe and economic development opportunities,” says Weininger.
But Genrich disagrees and says it is important for him to display his values.
“Strictly speaking, it’s not a municipal issue, right? Their budget is independent from ours, but there’s not an area of public life that is maybe more vital to the health of our neighborhoods — to the health of this community — than public education and public schools,” says Genrich.
Weininger feels economic development will help schools more.
“Create net new construction, new tax base, new growth, that would provide the funding they need to thrive and pay for their teachers and make upgrades in their schools,” says Weininger.
Both Weininger and Genrich have said if elected, they plan to maintain strong relationships with the public school system in the city of Green Bay.
