GREEN BAY - One hundred of Principal Bryan Davis' students at Green Bay Southwest High School were among the more than 1,500 people in the school gym to see President Barack Obama on Thursday.
The White House advance lead team assessed all the possible facilities in Green Bay before telling Southwest High School that its gym had been chosen for the town hall event.
The school worked with the advance team and Secret Service all week preparing.
"It was an incredibly detailed effort," Davis said.
Davis, a 1992 graduate of Monroe High School, said "the kids loved it" and were excited to have their public school chosen for the presidential visit.
"What I loved about it was the White House administration involved them in the preparations," Davis told The Monroe Times in a telephone interview Thursday.
"Four of them were involved in the motorcade and got to go to the airport to watch Air Force One land," he said.
The president's staff specifically targeted students based on their background, those who have struggled and who had most improved academically or behaviorally, Davis said.
Another 11 students got to greet the people attending and to escort VIPs, including Governor Jim Doyle and U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, to their seats.
Two were chosen for a chance to sit on the stage. Those two students, and the schools' Trojan mascot banner, can be seen in CNN news video, Davis said.
Other students were selected by a lottery system.
Finishing his third year as the school's principal, Davis said he never imagined such an experience would come his way while growing up in Monroe.
"Not to this extent," Davis said.
But the day was a "fulfillment of that charge given to me" by his teachers in Monroe, he added.
"The experience allowed me to continue the message of service, leadership and civil duty taught by (social studies teacher) Al Stauffacher and other teachers in Monroe," Davis said.
Obama spoke for about 15 minutes and used the event to deliver his first town hall message on health care.
Afterward, Obama spent about 45 minutes for an unscripted question-and-answer period, Davis said.
"The White House was great to allocate seating for the students and all the teaching staff that requested tickets," he said. About 100 members of the staff were in attendance.
Davis' parents, Mike and Mary Davis, Monroe, were in attendance. Mary Davis is a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary in Monroe.
Davis said his mother "fostered my call to public education." His brother Rob and sister-in-law Brenda, who teaches at Monroe Charter School, also attended.
Unable to attend were a sister living in San Diego, and another brother, State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, who represents Wisconsin's 80th District, which includes Green County.
"Brett wanted to attend but is unable to do so because of his state budget work," Davis said.
The White House advance lead team assessed all the possible facilities in Green Bay before telling Southwest High School that its gym had been chosen for the town hall event.
The school worked with the advance team and Secret Service all week preparing.
"It was an incredibly detailed effort," Davis said.
Davis, a 1992 graduate of Monroe High School, said "the kids loved it" and were excited to have their public school chosen for the presidential visit.
"What I loved about it was the White House administration involved them in the preparations," Davis told The Monroe Times in a telephone interview Thursday.
"Four of them were involved in the motorcade and got to go to the airport to watch Air Force One land," he said.
The president's staff specifically targeted students based on their background, those who have struggled and who had most improved academically or behaviorally, Davis said.
Another 11 students got to greet the people attending and to escort VIPs, including Governor Jim Doyle and U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, to their seats.
Two were chosen for a chance to sit on the stage. Those two students, and the schools' Trojan mascot banner, can be seen in CNN news video, Davis said.
Other students were selected by a lottery system.
Finishing his third year as the school's principal, Davis said he never imagined such an experience would come his way while growing up in Monroe.
"Not to this extent," Davis said.
But the day was a "fulfillment of that charge given to me" by his teachers in Monroe, he added.
"The experience allowed me to continue the message of service, leadership and civil duty taught by (social studies teacher) Al Stauffacher and other teachers in Monroe," Davis said.
Obama spoke for about 15 minutes and used the event to deliver his first town hall message on health care.
Afterward, Obama spent about 45 minutes for an unscripted question-and-answer period, Davis said.
"The White House was great to allocate seating for the students and all the teaching staff that requested tickets," he said. About 100 members of the staff were in attendance.
Davis' parents, Mike and Mary Davis, Monroe, were in attendance. Mary Davis is a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary in Monroe.
Davis said his mother "fostered my call to public education." His brother Rob and sister-in-law Brenda, who teaches at Monroe Charter School, also attended.
Unable to attend were a sister living in San Diego, and another brother, State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, who represents Wisconsin's 80th District, which includes Green County.
"Brett wanted to attend but is unable to do so because of his state budget work," Davis said.