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District urges voter outreach ahead of April 1 referendum; public comment supports new middle school citing accessibility and aging facilities
Summary
District staff outlined final outreach steps for the April 1 referendum — including information sessions, a postcard drop and online videos — and a public commenter urged residents to vote yes, citing a proposed new middle school capacity of 680 and accessibility concerns at South Park Middle School.
At the March 12 meeting, district staff updated the board and public on the April 1 referendum and asked voters to use district resources to learn the scope and impacts of the ballot question.
Katie Neiman, the district staff member handling referendum communications, told the board staff are holding information sessions across the district (the next session was scheduled for March 18 at Franklin Elementary), are sending a final postcard to households, and have posted short informational videos and answers to frequently asked questions on the district website. Neiman said early and absentee in‑person voting begins March 18 and encouraged residents to “make a plan to vote” and review the materials online.
During the non‑agenda public forum, Mallory Schneider Burschbach of Oshkosh spoke in favor of the referendum. She said the proposed new middle school is designed for 680 students and argued the building is needed because South Park Middle School is beyond its useful life and lacks ADA accessibility. “This is more than just putting up a shiny new building. The new middle school is desperately needed,” she said, and asked residents to get information from district materials before voting.
Staff noted the referendum materials online include project details, tax‑impact information and video explanations recorded by district staff who work in affected buildings. Board members encouraged community engagement in informational sessions and urged residents to consult the official materials when deciding how to vote.
No formal board action on the referendum occurred at the meeting; staff said outreach will continue through the vote.
