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Oshkosh Area School District board meeting, date not confirmed yet

3 h 23 min · 1 public speaker

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 3 h 23 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Oshkosh board approves 2026⁠-⁠2027 tax levy after clerical error in hearing notice 13:52

  • The board's attorney said not complying with the 15-day rule is a statutory defect that does not invalidate the budget or tax levy, and that not holding the hearing that night would have grave consequences given the November 1st levy deadline. 41:12
  • The board approved the budget resolution after one board member said the budget hearing was not properly noticed and that they could not support approving the budget. 3:06:07
  • The board also approved a technical amendment to the superintendent's contract on a vote of 4 to 3. 3:12:43

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (15)
  1. Opening and pledge 0:11
    • Dr. Michael Ford called the meeting to order and asked for the roll to be taken. 0:11
    • A group from Franklin Elementary School was present for the Pledge of Allegiance, and Dr. Michael Ford handed out certificates. 0:38
  2. Franklin Elementary principal highlights 3:07
    • The Franklin Elementary principal said construction has left the school without a playground and that the parent group helped gather recess donations. 3:24
    • The principal said 74% of students scored in the green or yellow range in literacy in fall 2026, up from 72% in fall 2025, and 66% in math, up from 64%, and that current Forward Exam proficiency is 42.1% in ELA and 37.7% in math. 5:51
    • Jacob Wolf said they had visited Franklin the previous week and thanked staff and teachers for keeping focus amid the construction. 7:52
  3. Budget hearing opening and notice reading 8:13
    • Dr. Michael Ford opened the public hearing on the proposed 2026⁠-⁠2027 budget and read the published budget notice. 8:13
    • Dr. Michael Ford read general fund revenues and expenditures of $146,989,464 and totals for all funds of $259,576,695 in revenues and $326,462,380 in expenditures. 10:04
    • A motion to call the hearing to order carried. 9:21
  4. Point of order on hearing notice 12:35
    • A district staff member said legal counsel recommended moving forward because the budget and levy must be certified by November 1st. 14:09
    • One board member said the board has to follow the law and has to figure out a remedy. 21:17
  5. Recess and consultation with attorney 29:40
    • The attorney said there is no personal liability for board members in holding a hearing that is technically not compliant with the statute. 44:06
    • Dr. Timothy Hess asked whether any community member could challenge the board's actions, and the attorney said anyone can but that noncompliance with the 15-day rule does not lead to invalidation of the budget or levy. 44:24
    • Dr. Barbara Herzog asked whether a second, properly noticed hearing should be scheduled, and the attorney said that would be a wise thing to do. 47:58
  6. Presentation of the 2026-27 budget 54:26
    • A district staff member said the board made about $7.8 million in reductions in January and February, including almost 66 staff positions. 1:40:35
    • A business services staff member said the equalized levy rate is $7.27, the total school tax levy is $67.7 million and the budget is balanced at $146,989,465. 1:46:07
    • Dr. Timothy Hess asked how special education spending of $34 million in both years fit with a reported $3 million increase and a transfer of service request of about $670,000. 1:58:11
  7. Public comment on the budget 2:08:09
    • Dr. Michael Ford said one person had signed up to speak. 2:08:16
    • A speaker at public comment said about $19 million was transferred from the general fund to cover special education costs in the '25-'26 school year and about $17 million is proposed for '26-'27, and said state funding for special education is inadequate. 2:08:56
    • The public hearing was adjourned. ~2:12:45
  8. Regular meeting opening and recognitions 2:12:46
    • Dr. Michael Ford called the regular meeting to order, and a land acknowledgment was read. 2:12:46
    • Dr. Michael Ford said two board members were recognized with WASB member recognition program awards on October 22nd. 2:13:52
    • Dr. Michael Ford said over 700 student athletes represented Oshkosh West and North in fall sports. 2:15:09
  9. Superintendent's good news report 2:17:16
    • A staff member said the Oshkosh West yearbook staff earned top honors and the district partnered with the Oshkosh Chamber on career pathway sessions. 2:17:38
    • The staff member said advisory results of the naming survey for the new middle school would go to the board in November, with a name selection in December. 2:21:14
  10. Administrator and committee reports 2:21:54
    • Molly Smiltneek asked about the timeline for collecting feedback and how students outside leadership groups would be heard, and a staff member said the timeline is fluid and will be adjusted to get appropriate feedback. 2:22:08
    • Dr. Timothy Hess reported on Finance Committee meetings and said the next meeting is proposed for November 30th at 4:45. 2:27:21
    • In a facilities report, a speaker said the North Auditorium is $5 million over budget and estimated savings for the new middle school at between $1.2 and $1.4 million. 2:37:05
  11. Consent agenda 2:47:02
    • A speaker asked to pull item 8 from the consent agenda, and Dr. Michael Ford said it would be taken out. 2:47:25
  12. High school course additions and deletions 2:48:06
    • A district staff member said the proposed Future Success course would be a 0.5-credit requirement in the first 3 semesters to give all students access to career planning. 2:49:02
    • One board member described personal struggles with the bottleneck in course selection at the beginning of a high school career. 2:54:07
    • One board member said they would support the item and asked that a survey go out to teachers on changes that impact all teachers. 2:59:35
  13. Approval of the budget 3:04:16
    • One board member said the budget hearing was not properly noticed and that they could not support approving the budget. 3:06:07
    • One board member said they were not happy but felt this was the only option, saying teachers and staff need to get paid. 3:09:24
    • One board member suggested setting up a properly noticed meeting at least 15 days out to give the community more opportunity for input. 3:09:56
    • The resolution carried. ~3:11:41
  14. Approval of the tax levy 3:11:43
    • One board member said the board was voting to tax people without having officially given them the opportunity to comment and stated an intention not to support it. 3:12:11
    • The resolution carried. ~3:12:41
  15. Superintendent contract technical amendment 3:12:43
    • A district staff member said an audit found retirement contributions must be split 50% employer and 50% employee, and the amendment addresses amounts of $10,338.63 and $7,835.97, with no fiscal impact. 3:13:06
    • The resolution carried on a vote of 4 to 3. 3:21:35

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Oshkosh Area Board of Education 10/28/26”