Budget Planning 2026-2027

The Oshkosh Area School District is committed to providing clear, consistent information as we address significant structural budget challenges to ensure the long-term health and stability of our district.

A Message to Our Community from Superintendent Davis

Like many districts in Wisconsin, the Oshkosh Area School District is navigating a budget deficit caused in large part by state funding that fails to keep pace with inflation, evolving student needs, declining enrollment, and increasing operational costs.

The Oshkosh Area School District is currently engaged in a comprehensive, system-wide process to address a projected $6 million operational budget deficit for the 2026-2027 school year.

We are committed to leading this difficult process with transparency, and our focus remains fixed on providing the high-quality education our students deserve. We thank you for your patience and partnership as we navigate this challenge together.

Understanding the $6 Million Operational Deficit

The need for system-wide budget reductions is driven by two key structural realities:

1. The Structural Imbalance: Like many Wisconsin districts, we face a structural deficit because state revenue increases consistently fail to keep pace with the rising, inflationary costs of running our schools.
2. The Enrollment Reality: This structural issue has been further compounded by our forecasted and actual enrollment decline. While we have been making gradual operating reductions to respond to our enrollment trends, this year saw a sharp acceleration, specifically 177 fewer students in 2025-2026. Our operational costs are no longer sustainable and must be aligned with the number of students we now serve.

Clarifying Facilities vs. Operations

We recognize the community has invested significantly in our facilities. It is vital to understand the distinction between these funds:

• Separate Funds: The funds used for our recent consolidation projects are capital funds and cannot, by law, be used to cover the operational deficit (which pays for staff salaries, benefits, and programs).
• Long-Term Health: Our consolidation efforts are a key, long-term strategy to right-size our district and address aging buildings. This work is about creating a more sustainable structure; the current budget work is about aligning our daily operating expenses to that new structure.

Our Process: A System-Wide Review

To address this $6 million gap, we have initiated a detailed, system-wide review of potential reductions. This process is focused on achieving necessary savings while protecting student learning and core classroom support.

Please know that these necessary conversations about reductions do not reflect the value or dedication of our staff. They reflect the financial responsibility we hold to ensure our district remains sustainable.

The process for meeting this financial responsibility is as follows:

• Setting Targets: We have communicated preliminary reduction targets based off of each site's 2025-2026 budget:
  • Pre-K and Elementary Schools: 5% operating budget reduction
  • Secondary Schools: 7.5% operating budget reduction
  • Central Office: 10% operating budget reduction
• Reviewing All Options: Every option to find structural and sustainable efficiencies and cost-saving measures that align with the district’s mission will be explored.

Budget History and Financial Reporting

Additional OASD budget information is available on the main District Budget webpage:

• Current and Past Budgets: This section includes details on current and past OASD budgets.
• Independent Audit Reports: Each year, an outside audit of the District’s financial statements is conducted. You can find the latest audit information on this page.