Oshkosh forum spotlights splits over school vouchers and tax‑bill transparency

Vouchers and transparency drew sustained attention at the League of Women Voters forum as candidates debated whether taxpayer‑funded private‑school vouchers are good for Oshkosh and whether voucher amounts should appear on property tax bills.

Paul Molitor and Jacob Wolf said vouchers are a state program that should be state‑funded; Molitor argued choice can spur public schools to improve. “Parents have a choice,” he said, but added the funding should come from state sources rather than local control.

Jeffrey Watts voiced full support for vouchers as parental choice, saying options hold districts accountable. Mallory Schneider Burschbach and incumbent Barb Herzog emphasized transparency and accountability: Mallory said she worries that voucher schools are not held to the same standards and that taxpayers lack information on outcomes and spending; she favored listing voucher amounts on tax bills. Herzog said private schools in Oshkosh participating in the voucher program have received $33,000,000 in taxpayer funds over the last five years and expressed concern there is “no oversight” of how those dollars are spent.

Candidates were unanimous that, if voucher funding is localized on tax statements, taxpayers would have greater visibility, though they disagreed on whether the program should expand and who should fund it. No policy change or binding action was announced at the forum; candidates described competing approaches should they join the board.

Next steps: the discussion frames a likely campaign issue ahead of the Feb. 17 primary and April 7 spring election.