Oshkosh board staff propose eliminating most student fees while retaining driver education charge; board members press for outreach on fee waivers

District staff told the board on April 9 that they will recommend eliminating most high school activity and athletic fees for 2025–26 and reducing parking fees, while maintaining a nominal driver education fee for classroom and behind‑the‑wheel instruction.

District staff (presented by District Administrator Missus Conrad Peters) said the recommendation comes after a multi‑year effort to reduce financial barriers to student participation. The presentation noted that roughly $65,000 in high‑school activity and athletic fees had been collected in 2023–24 and that year‑to‑date collections for the current year were about $30,000. Staff said these sums can be absorbed in existing budgets and recommended: keeping the driver education fee at $4.25, eliminating high‑school athletic fees, lowering the parking permit fee to $20 (replacement $10), and eliminating activity fees that had a $20 per‑activity charge with family caps.

Board members responded with broad support for reducing fees but raised implementation and equity questions. Several board members said parking collections at West exceed those at North and indicated inconsistent collection practices between schools. Doctor Herzak and other board members asked for concrete outreach: how will families, particularly second‑language households and low‑income families, learn that driver education and other fees can be waived or funded through district or state mechanisms?

Conrad Peters and other staff acknowledged the outreach gap. The staff presentation referenced a Wisconsin Department of Transportation process that allows families to apply for driver education funding but said available state funds for this fiscal year were already exhausted. Staff committed to provide numbers on how many students have not yet taken driver education through the district and to follow up with a proactive communications plan so families know how to apply for assistance. The district identified Stacy Brotherrower as the district driver education coordinator handling those logistics.

Board members flagged the operational next steps they want tracked: consistent fee collection across schools, the budget impact of eliminating up to $55,000 (figure cited by a board member) and clear communication to families in multiple languages. No fee resolution was adopted on April 9; staff said a resolution for the 2025–26 fee schedule will come to the board for formal action at a future meeting.

The discussion combined policy rationale — removing barriers to participation — with practical concerns about how families access fee waivers and how the district will replace the modest revenue stream in building budgets.

Next steps announced: staff will return with a formal resolution for board action at the next meeting, provide counts of students who have not completed driver education, and outline a targeted outreach plan for families (including second‑language learners) so they can apply for fee assistance or state funding options.