GBAPS names new school Starr Elementary

GREEN BAY, WI—(WGBW)— The Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) Board of Education approved a name for the new west side elementary school during its regular board meeting Monday night. 

New Officers

Newly elected members Jeanette Knill and Alex Mineau, and re-elected member James Lyerly, were seated for a three-year term. The Board of Education also held its annual election of Board officers. They are as follows:

• President – James Lyerly
• Vice President – Lynn Gerlach
• Treasurer – Andrew Becker
• School District Clerk – Jeanette Knill

Starr Elementary School  

The Board of Education voted to name the new west-side elementary school Starr Elementary School, in honor of Bart and Cherry Starr. 

“We will name it Starr Elementary School. We will be able to recognize both Bart Starr and Cherry. The Packer Hall of Fame will give us a bust of both Bart Starr and Cherry Starr,” said Lynn Gerlach, Vice-President of the GBAPS Board of Education. “I would love to have an elementary school where the little girls walk in and they see a woman there! Most of those little girls are gonna grow up to be wives, and there’s no better role model for a wife than Cherry Starr was. Bart and Cherry Starr started the Rawhide Boys Ranch together. They started the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation together. They did everything together.”

Gerlach said the Packer’s Hall of Fame would provide the busts of Bart and Cherry Starr to be placed at the school sometime in 2027. 

Why Starr Elementary?

Bart Starr was the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback who led the team to five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls. He also served as the Packers’ head coach from 1975 to 1983. Bart was praised for his leadership qualities and exemplary character, both as a player and a person. 

Bart and Cherry are known for their support of youth. They co-founded Rawhide Youth Services, an organization that helps at-risk youth. They also created the Starr Children’s Fund, an endowment to finance childhood cancer research. In addition, Bart and Cherry served as honorary chairpersons of the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation’s Golf Classic for 44 years. 

Fee increases for musical instrument rentals

In other action, the GBAPS Board approved an increase for musical instrument rentals from $60 to $120 for the 2025-2026 school year. The fee increase was recommended following a review of the costs to maintain the district’s instrument inventory. This is the first significant raise of the rental fee in 20 years.