OASD presents revised budget reduction plan on Wednesday

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) will present its revised budget reduction recommendations for the 2026-2027 school year to the Board of Education on Wednesday, January 14, at 6 p.m. The plan makes cuts of over $4.6 million to address a $5.5 million deficit.

The District undertook an intensive review process following community pushback on the original plan. That plan included reducing 70 positions, including 23 after requiring elective teachers to teach an additional class each day. 

The revised plan removes planned staff market adjustments for administrators. That lowered the projected deficit from $6 million to $5.5 million. The revised plan still cuts at least 43.8 full-time equivalent positions. The district will cut more positions when it determins secondary school scheduling reductions.

Positions to be eliminated

Figures from OASD show that there will be position eliminations and reductions throughout the District.

• Central Office – 8.9 positions cut
• District Level – 10.7 positions cut
• PreK/Elementary – 14.9 positions cut
• Secondary – 9.3 lus secondary school scheduling reductions.  The revised recommendation will result in the district secondary classroom staffing ratios of 27:1. The OASD anticipates some of the reductions will be due to attrition.

A press release from the OASD said the updated plan “reflects a collaborative effort to address the District’s financial challenges while responding to priorities identified by the school community.” 

“The feedback we received following our December proposal was invaluable,” said OASD Superintendent Dr. Bryan Davis. “Our community’s insights helped us refine our approach. This process has been a balance of maintaining high-quality student opportunities and ensuring the long-term financial stability of our schools.” 

Key Revisions to OASD budget 

• Secondary Staffing and Scheduling: The District is no longer recommending that elective teachers shift to teaching 6 of 7 periods. Instead, the revised recommendation will make the district more consistent with secondary classroom staffing ratios of 27:1. This may result in increased class sizes or the decision not to run a specific course if enrollment is too low to support a full-time equivalent position. If a course cannot run, the District will seek to offer it the following year or provide alternatives, such as taking the course at the other high school or through eAcademy. 
• Oshkosh West Mental Strength: Revised recommendation is to remove the proposal to eliminate the Mental Strength Teacher position at Oshkosh West. 
• Driver’s Education: Revised recommendation is to remove the proposal to eliminate this program and instead refer it to the Board’s Facility and Finance Committee to explore a cost-neutral financial model. 
• Community Engagement and Equity: Revised recommendation is to restructure this role into a school-level Student and Family Engagement Coordinator focused on post-secondary planning; it will no longer be a Central Office Administrator position. 
• Technology: Revised recommendation is to retain the Security and Communication Specialist position and instead eliminate the Director of Technology position. 
• Peer Coaching: Revised recommendation is to reduce the program to 1.0 FTE, ensuring one full-time coach remains to support first-year teachers. 
• Elementary Leadership: Revised recommendation: eliminate one elementary principal position as part of the scheduled Shapiro and Roosevelt consolidation.
• Staff Market Adjustments: Following Board direction, the District has removed scheduled market adjustments for administrators, reducing the projected deficit from $6 million to $5.5 million. 

See the complete list of revised recommendations, including specific rationales for each item, on the District’s dedicated budget planning webpage: oshkosh.k12.wi.us/district/business-services/budget-planning-26-27. 

Direct links to the reduction list and the district’s message to the community are available below: 

• List: REVISED – OASD 2026-2027 Budget Reduction Recommendations as of 01.09.26 
• Message: OASD Update 01.09.26: Revised 2026-2027 Budget Reduction Recommendations for January 14 Board Discussion 

Meeting Information

The OASD Board of Education will hold a public discussion and will vote on the final reduction plan at its meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the OASD Administration Office, 215 S. Eagle Street, Oshkosh. The public is invited to speak before the meeting and at a Board Listening Session at 5:00 p.m. in the Perry Tipler Middle School Cafeteria, 325 S. Eagle Street, Oshkosh. People attending the Board Listening Session at Perry Tipler are asked to enter through doors #14 or #16.