GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Area School District kicked off the school year with a new superintendent, who’s taking on financial and enrollment challenges while trying to make his mark on the community.
Born and raised in Detroit, Claude Tiller became Superintendent of Green Bay Area Public Schools on July 1. On a recent visit to Southwest High School, Athletic Director Amy Hogan presented Tiller with a Green Bay Packers hat, which he wore for the entire visit.
We asked if he a Lions fan or a Packers fan.
“Fair weather fan," Tiller said while laughing.
His sense of humor matches his sense of style. Tiller wore purple Chuck Taylors, a teal suit and a matching bowtie. He breaks the mold of what many might think of as a school superintendent.
“I’m not a starch, walking around like I’m a robot. That’s not me. I love to talk to people. I love to smile. I love to be around people," explained Tiller.
Tiller recently visited staff at Green Bay Southwest High School as they prepared for the new year.
He will lead the fourth-largest school district in the state with over 19,000 students and 3,500 staff members.
Before classes started, he brought the community together for a big welcome-back party. Volunteers stepped up to give their time, and over 2,000 people attended the free event.
“I had the idea, but my Family Engagement Team went forward, and they birthed everything. That’s why I feel like a proud father. That’s that energy. That’s that style that I breathe," said Tiller.
Tiller said the hustle and bustle of Detroit prepared him for this job, but he acknowledged the support he’s received. While visiting an art room at Southwest, he noticed a hand-crafted Wonder Woman logo on display.
“If I could pull that down, I would give that to my deputy superintendent," said Tiller. “Without her, there would be no me.”
Art teacher Jon Taft promptly grabbed the piece and handed it to Deputy Superintendent Vicki Bayer.
“She has kept me going because she has a lot of the institutional knowledge that I need," said Tiller.
Also in his first year on the job, Green Bay Southwest principal Michael Whisler said he likes Tiller’s approach.
“You feel seen when you’re with Dr. Tiller, with that builds trust. There are lots of things that will need to be decided upon in terms of continuous growth that may be hard conversations, but with that relationship comes the ability to engage in the hard conversations and build that understanding," said Whisler.
The Green Bay School Board recently voted to close Wequiock Elementary at the end of this school year. More consolidation and tough decisions loom for the district due to budget deficits and declining enrollment.
“We have some outdated schools. We want to give our children, our students and Green Bay Area Public Schools the best working opportunity to be as successful as possible. I would be adamantly against movement if they weren’t moving to a better situation," said Tiller.
Even with those tough decisions on the horizon, Tiller remained upbeat. He noted the $92 million referendum passed last year and observed construction underway to athletic fields at Southwest.
"If students have to be removed from their particular building, they will come to a better environment, 100% guaranteed through collaboration with the parents and groups of parents moving forward."
Tiller said during the school year, he will tone down his shoes and clothing, but not his passion for helping the staff and students in Green Bay.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Claude Tiller’s name. The error has been corrected. (Sept. 6, 2023)