(Fox 11 Online)
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Oshkosh Area School District is recommending about 70 positions be eliminated to close a $6 million annual budget deficit.
Superintendent Bryan Davis addressed the proposed cuts for the first time Wednesday night following a public listening session and the first board discussion — which combined to last about five hours. Over 40 people spoke out against the cuts.
“We’ll work through the process based on the feedback from the board, feedback from public comments, and make some modifications to the revisions,” said Davis. “And at the end of the day, we’ve got a $6 million issue that we need to solve for next year.”
The district says it has already made cuts by consolidating schools, changing its benefit plans and making certain reductions. OASD said that over the last 12 years, the district has added added staff while enrollment has dropped by 1,000 students.
A few key details on the cuts:
- The district is primarily cutting teachers and staff to close the deficit, as 80% of the budget are salaries and benefits
- Would eliminate 11 positions from the central office, like office assistants, secretaries and media specialists (saves $1.95 million per year)
- Would eliminate 34 positions from high schools; mostly counselors, special education and other support staff (saves $2.27 million per year)
- Would eliminate 11.9 positions from elementary schools (saves $896,000 per year)
- Would eliminate 13.7 positions from other places within the district (saves $1.45 million per year)
- Also includes a reduction in budgets for technology and textbooks
The school board was skeptical of the proposed reductions, so this is far from a done deal.
One district teacher and union representative said the district should dip into its fund balance and sell off excess properties, warning these cuts will negatively impact students.
“Our goal is to work together, to come up with solutions and ways that we can try to impact students the least amount,” said James Warren, an OASD fifth-grade teacher and co-president of the Oshkosh Education Association, who added the district has had some level of transparency through the process. “That’s why we’re here tonight – to talk to the school board, get them involved, and then work together with them to work through this process.”
The plan would also ask more of elective and extracurricular teachers, in addition to the support staff position cuts.
Added Oshkosh West High School student Delaney Smith: “These proposed budget cuts will gut the arts, harm special education, and make attaining a career in the trades much more difficult after graduation.
Davis said he still believes these are the best options going forward, but has no non-negotiables as he and the board discuss future cuts.
“As we looked at these, a lot of different options and it’s difficult decisions, wanted to make sure that we stayed students first,” said Davis. “And so these proposals did not reduce opportunities for students. We’d have to meet those opportunities maybe a little bit different way from what we’re currently structured. But we want to make sure that we keep as many of those opportunities as possible.”
The district hopes to make a final decision Jan. 14; they’ll meet the prior week to discuss further. Any position eliminations would take effect next school year.
The district cites a lack of state funding and an enrollment decline as reasons for the deficit, issues facing other districts around Northeast Wisconsin — including Green Bay, Appleton, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac and Menasha.
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