Oshkosh district starts design work on referendum projects; Karl Traeger traffic solution eyed for summer 2026

At the Oshkosh Area School District Board of Education meeting on May 14, District Administrator Conrad Peters told the board that referendum-funded facility projects have moved into the design phase and that a traffic study for Karl Traeger is advancing toward city review, with site work anticipated in summer 2026.

Peters said the district will transition the referendum web page in early June to a Phase 2 project-updates section and archive monthly progress updates for public access. “The first thing I want to share with you is that our website has been updated to start to transition to talking about projects,” she said during the meeting.

The update matters because the work includes building additions and renovations at several elementary schools and site changes intended to address safety and access. Peters described the core planning team for the design work as district operations and business leaders, the facilities director and project manager, principals and staff. She said Karl Traeger’s initial design work and a traffic study are underway and that the district met with about 20 community members, including the Fox Chase neighborhood president, on April 22 to gather input.

Board members and staff described the traffic issue as long-standing. Board member Dr. Herzog noted that sidewalks and original design expectations did not anticipate the current volume of vehicle drop-offs and pick-ups: “The plan of 30 years ago...was never implemented as the architects and builder thought it would be. So, it's time that we fixed that.” Peters said the district and city will continue collaborating on a finalized traffic plan and that the district is “anticipating a timeline would be the summer of 2026” for the site work needed to implement the solution.

Peters also reported the district is jointly planning additions and heavy renovations for Franklin and Oakwood elementary schools because their projects are similar, and that design work has begun on air-conditioning upgrades at Evelyn Cook, Lakeside and Reed elementary schools with a mechanical design contractor secured. She said staff who will be affected by project phasing are being visited individually to explain impacts and timelines.

No formal board vote was recorded on the projects at the meeting; the presentation was an informational update and the board directed staff to continue community collaboration and city coordination. Next steps identified by district staff include finalizing designs, continuing neighborhood outreach and returning with construction schedules and cost details as projects move from design to bidding and site work.

Looking ahead, Peters told the board the district will post monthly project write-ups tied to the archived referendum materials on the district website so community members can track progress and decisions.