Oshkosh school board advances $198.6 million Phase 2 facilities plan, sets referendum timeline

The Oshkosh Area School District presented a revised Phase 2 facilities proposal to the school board on Dec. 4, 2024 that would cost about $198.6 million, add air conditioning to three elementary schools, build a new middle school on the South Park site and reorganize several elementary and specialty sites — and the district said the plan can be structured with no increase to the local tax levy.

District administrators told the board the plan responds to community feedback and seeks a defined scope so staff can prepare a referendum question for board review on Dec. 18 and possible board approval on Jan. 8 to place a question on the April 1, 2025 ballot.

Why it matters: Administration said the package addresses aging facilities, creates operational savings through consolidation, and prioritizes early childhood and learning environments. Board members on both sides said upgrades are needed now to avoid higher future costs and to improve learning conditions, especially for early childhood programs and South Park students.

What’s in the package: The district’s refined scope includes: constructing a new middle school on the South Park site; repurposing the former Perry Tipler school to house district alternative programs and recreation department offices (the Riverside Fox Valley Technical College partnership would remain at FVTC); building a North High School auditorium; expanding Oakwood, Carl Traeger and Franklin elementaries to four-track (about 600-student capacity) footprints; converting Shapiro to a consolidated pre-K center; closing and seeking to sell Roosevelt Elementary and the downtown recreation center; and adding air conditioning at E. Cook, Lakeside and Reed elementary schools.

Julie Conrad Peters, a district administrator who led the presentation, said the plan was refined after community sessions and additional study of traffic, site work and enrollment. "If we can define the scope tonight, we can get a draft question back to you on December 18," she said. She also told the board administrators had updated site budgets to reflect coordination with the city, Winnebago County and the town of Algoma for traffic mitigation.

Transportation and pre-K: Administrators said roughly 51 percent of current 4K students are bused and that consolidating pre-K into one center would require more bus routes — from about 16 morning routes now to an estimated 24–26 morning and afternoon routes — but that route times would not be longer than current rides. Transportation staff and the district’s bus contractor modeled routes and drop-off plans to limit additional ride time.

Cost and taxes: The district presented an updated itemized estimate that increased scope detail and included the new elementary air-conditioning work; the revised total was presented as roughly $198.6 million. District staff said the plan can be financed without increasing the tax levy on property owners. "We can still honor the 0 impact, 0 tax increase to taxpayers within this," Conrad Peters said during the presentation.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members voiced a mix of support and technical questions. Several members said they supported asking the community to decide, citing deferred-maintenance costs and benefits to learning environments; others pressed staff on options to reduce hard‑cost elements (materials, glazing, finishes) if market conditions change. One member asked the administration to make demolition of the old South Park building explicit in the referendum language; staff agreed to clarify that element and to work with district counsel when drafting the ballot question.

Timing: Administration asked the board to confirm a defined scope so a draft referendum question can be returned Dec. 18 and, if approved by the board in January, be placed on the April 1, 2025 ballot. Designers from Bray Architects presented schematic site and massing work and said designs are preliminary and subject to further city approvals and refinement.

Public and board concerns: Board members and administrators noted repeated community questions about Oakwood’s footprint, pre-K consolidation impacts on families, and traffic/circulation at several sites. District staff said they had engaged the city’s planning department and will study traffic, staging and impervious-surface requirements during final design.

Where the plan would save money: The district said consolidation of elementary tracks and centralizing alternative programs and recreation services will produce operational savings over time and reduce capital maintenance liabilities. Administrators cautioned that delaying work would likely increase capital costs in the future and risk capacity or facility emergencies.

Outlook: The board consensus at the meeting was to continue refining the scope and return a draft ballot question in December; several members said they would support presenting the plan to voters rather than delaying work.