Oshkosh school board approves placing $197.8 million facilities referendum on April ballot after airport‑zoning conflict

The Oshkosh Area School District board voted Jan. 8 to place a $197,800,000 general obligation bond question on the April 1, 2025 ballot after administrators said a 2023 Winnebago County airport‑zoning change prevents expansion of large‑gathering buildings at the South Park Middle School site.

Superintendent Dr. Davis told the board the district learned this fall and in December that South Park falls within an airport approach/departure zone created by the county’s updated airport zoning code. "We do not have a copy of that zoning letter, and that is on us," Dr. Davis said, adding the district will change its internal notice and review procedures to prevent a repeat.

The proposal the board approved to send to voters keeps the overall phase‑two facilities package largely intact but shifts the planned new middle school from the South Park site to the Shapiro site and repurposes Perry Tipler Middle School to host a consolidated 4K center and recreation department spaces. Board members and district planners cited safety, timing and cost as the core reasons for the shift.

Why it matters: District staff said the county airport rule identifies areas where new construction that would draw large gatherings—schools, hospitals and similar uses—is not allowed because of aircraft approach and departure paths. District officials and their architects concluded moving the middle‑school project outside that zone is the safest path and also avoids a likely construction‑cost increase if the district delays the project a year. Administrators estimated delaying construction until April 2026 could raise costs by about 5 percent—roughly $4 million on the middle‑school portion—and said delaying the full package could add about $10 million districtwide.

What the board approved and next steps: The board approved language for a ballot question authorizing up to $197,800,000 in general obligation bonds for phase two of the long‑range facilities plan and voted to forward the question to the April election. If the board had not acted by Jan. 21, staff said the next practical district‑run opportunity would be April 2026. Dr. Davis told the board the district will continue the normal due‑diligence sequence—surveys, geotechnical borings, environmental reviews and formal site design—after voter approval.

Discussion highlights: Board members voiced a mix of frustration about how the zoning change was missed and support for the new plan. Several trustees said the zoning finding represented a failure of intergovernmental coordination and of the district’s internal mail‑and‑notice handling; Dr. Davis outlined four procedural fixes including centralized receipt of zoning notices, semiannual outreach to city and county zoning staff, and an operations‑team weekly review of land‑use correspondence.

Board member Smeltley said she favored moving the project: "I actually think that this is a better plan," she said, calling the Shapiro site slightly larger and noting the Tipler campus could be adapted to a 4K center. Other trustees said the board must redouble efforts on communication and on academic improvement as part of explaining the referendum to voters.

Financial and program notes: District staff reiterated the package is intended to be paid from bonding and that the district is proposing no increase in the debt levy for current taxpayers tied to paying off earlier debt service; administrators stressed that debt‑service schedules and future board actions could affect long‑term tax outcomes. Staff also said the district would seek to sell the South Park campus and five adjacent lots for residential reuse if the plan proceeds. The district’s project team—Bray Architects and in‑house operations and business staff—said their revised scope reduces the previously proposed package by about $800,000 compared with the December plan, largely because of differences in site logistics and demolition needs.

Unresolved issues and risks: Administrators acknowledged site‑specific environmental and infrastructure work has not been completed at Shapiro: no phase‑1/phase‑2 environmental reports or full geotechnical borings were presented at the Jan. 8 meeting. Trustee questions also flagged nearby former quarry fill and methane‑mitigation work; staff said mapped wetlands and publicly available contamination databases do not show a bar to building but that formal testing will be part of post‑referendum due diligence. Dr. Davis said the district will continue to coordinate with county and city officials on zoning and resale of surplus property.

What voters will see: The ballot question language approved by the board summarizes the projects and states the maximum bond amount; election officials will format the question according to state statute. If voters approve the bonds, the district will proceed with detailed design and the construction schedule described by staff; if the measure fails, staff said many of the consolidation and facility goals would need to be revisited.

Votes at a glance: The board voted to place the referendum question on the April 1, 2025 ballot. The board also approved an initial resolution authorizing the district to pursue general obligation bond financing up to $197,800,000. The meeting record shows the board carried both resolutions by roll‑call vote; the transcript records the motions and that the resolutions "carried," but does not record a full, named roll‑call tally in the public transcript.

Ending: District officials said they will brief the public and hold community sessions in the weeks before the election and will publish updated project details and due‑diligence findings as they become available.