OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WTAQ) – The Oshkosh Area School District is looking into solutions for aging facilities.
The Oshkosh School Board created the Facilities Advisory Committee to make recommendations on the next steps. The board has not yet taken action. The committee will present the recommendations to the board on December 4th.
“That’s why the board charged the committee, to take a look at what are the facility needs, what would be the best plan going forward in a multi-phased approach,” Dr. David Gundlach, the Oshkosh Deputy Superintendent said.
The committee recommends the Oshkosh School Board addresses school security and immediate maintenance needs. School security would redesign entrances to control visitor access, add lockable interior doors, and install “additional security technology.”
The infrastructure and maintenance repairs would replace sections of roof at three schools and update electrical systems at both high schools.
These two recommendations are expected to cost at least $20 million total from taxpayers. Right now, the committee estimates this would be a $19 tax increase per year for each $100,000 of property value.
Gundlach tells FOX 11 they estimate this tax increase will last for the next 20 years.
“It’s really important for us to be competitive in terms of facilities, but also, there’s a lot of facility needs and pent up maintenance needs, etc.”
The committee also recommends building a new middle and elementary school at a later date.
“The board also has the advantage of getting some survey results from the community. We have several thousand surveys taken in the community over the past couple of weeks,” Gundlach said.
Results from that survey show more than 50 percent of staff, parents and community members support a referendum for school safety and immediate maintenance needs.
There was less support for building new schools.
Dealing with aging facilities isn’t a first for Oshkosh. The Oshkosh School Board closed 124-year-old Smith Elementary School this year.
Gundlach says it would have needed at least $3.7 million in repairs.
“What Smith Elementary School did is it really just showed us that we can either make proactive decisions or we’ll have to make decisions based upon what happens to us.”
The district said it could not guarantee Smith Elementary School’s long-term safety.
