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Winnebago County committee forwards $158,913 community‑schools grant to county board after split vote
Summary
The Personnel & Finance Committee voted 3‑2 to forward a $158,913 budget amendment — the first year of a three‑year, $500,000 Wisconsin Partnership Program grant to pilot community schools in Oshkosh — after public testimony in support and objections from two supervisors.
The Winnebago County Personnel & Finance Committee on Jan. 8 voted 3‑2 to forward to the county board a budget amendment to accept $158,913 — the first‑year amount of a three‑year, $500,000 Wisconsin Partnership Program grant — to pilot a community‑schools model at Reed and Menominee elementary schools in Oshkosh.
Reverend Ellen Rasmussen, pastor of Algoma Boulevard United Methodist Church, urged the committee to approve the grant, saying the model links schools and community partners to address nonacademic barriers to learning. "Student success is inseparable from family stability," Rasmussen said, describing how her congregation provides meals, space and relationship building to nearby families.
County staff said the three‑year grant, administered through the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s Wisconsin Partnership Program, funds two community health workers and requires an evaluator; the county’s plan names UW‑Oshkosh’s Whitburn Center as project evaluator. Staff and presenters emphasized the pilot is intended to demonstrate the model locally and, if successful, provide evidence for broader adoption.
Discussion at the committee focused on scope and oversight: one supervisor asked whether the pilot could be rolled out countywide after the pilot, and staff said the pilot begins where existing relationships and capacity are strongest, then could be scaled if successful. Another supervisor raised concerns about the grant's stated priorities and called for more detailed background review.
A vocal objection from a committee member characterized the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s planning documents as emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion, and said, "DEI is a Marxist creation," asserting the county should examine the grantors’ background before accepting funds. Other members pushed back, citing the program’s focus on health and educational supports and noting the Board of Health previously approved the application unanimously.
The motion to accept the budget amendment and forward it to the county board passed, 3 ayes to 2 nays. The Board of Health had already recommended acceptance (5‑0). The committee recorded no formal conditions on the grant acceptance; staff said routine grant reporting and evaluation requirements from the Wisconsin Partnership Program and the Whitburn Center will govern next steps.
The committee’s approval sends the budget amendment to the full county board for final action.
