Building Our Future

Vel Phillips Middle School - Logo, Mascot, and School Colors

Say hello to the Vel Phillips Middle School mascot…the Phoenix!

The phoenix received an overwhelming majority of votes in the selection survey sent to future Vel Phillips Middle School students and staff earlier this year. Since then, school and District leaders have been working with Bray Architects, to develop the school’s identifying features including the mascot, logo, and school colors. 

OASD Hosts Community Dedication Ceremony & Open House

On Sunday, September 17, the Oshkosh Area School District welcomed students, staff, families, and community members, into its brand-new Vel Phillips Middle School. The public dedication and open house drew an incredible crowd, and provided an opportunity to showcase the newest public school in Oshkosh. LEARN MORE

OASD School Board Tours Vel Phillips Middle School Construction Site

On December 15, 2022, OASD Board of Education members - along with Superintendent Bryan Davis and members of the construction project team - toured Vel Phillips Middle School to see the construction progress first-hand.  Construction is at full speed: masonry walls, stud walls, roofing, ductwork/piping, electrical infrastructure is in place, and drywall is being hung. The last exterior walls to be completed are on the third floor of the academic tower, the music wing, and the connecting corridor between the main office and the gym/music wing.

The OASD is so grateful for the community’s commitment to supporting our students and schools. The District looks forward to continuing to engage the community in this exciting process, including providing opportunities to tour the facility as it nears completion. 

Oshkosh Celebrates Vel Phillips Middle School Groundbreaking

On Wednesday, April 6 the Oshkosh community joined together to celebrate the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Vel Phillips Middle School. The event featured comments from future Vel Phillips Middle School students and families, District leaders and volunteers, as well as the school’s principal. Students, staff, members of the Board of Education, members of the District’s Facilities Advisory Committee, and local dignitaries participated in ceremonial shovel turns. The Merrill and Webster Stanley middle school bands also kicked off the event with festive music and the playing of the National Anthem. LEARN MORE

On May 3 and May 7, former students and staff, neighbors, community members, and many others attended farewell tours of Webster Stanley Elementary and Middle School. We know that there are many fond memories of the building and we are grateful for the opportunity to come together to walk down memory. A few of the great stories overheard include: 

• Former students, Joshua and Stormie Fry, looking through their middle school yearbook and sharing a bit about their love story that began in seventh grade at Webster Stanley Middle.

• A group of lifelong friends - Mike Matulle, Penny Nichols, Tom King, and Mark Matulle - catching up in the hallways that they walked as students in the 1960s. 
• A Webster Stanley alum pointing out his own athletic accomplishments that hang in the gym as he toured the space with his daughter, a current Webster student. 
• An unplanned meeting between current Webster Stanley Middle School Principal Kristi Levy, former Webster Stanely Middle School Principal Julie Conrad (2010-2012) and Elliott Moeser who was the principal of Webster Stanley for five years in the 1970s - and whose educational career has crossed paths with OASD Superintendent Dr. Bryan Davis.

OASD School Building Salvage and Demolition Overview 05.01.23

Webster Stanley Elementary and Middle School will be torn down at the end of the 2022-23 school year to allow construction to begin on the new Menominee Elementary School, which will open in the fall of 2024. The demolition timeline for this project is short, with demolition beginning within days of the end of the school year. However, district and school leaders have been engaged in an extensive planning process to ensure that the demolition process is successfully managed and accomplished.

The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) acknowledges that demolishing a school building is a significant project, and aims to create a shared understanding of the process with the community. The following overview applies to the Webster Stanley school building (closing in June 2023) and the Merrill school building (closing in June 2024).

OASD School Building Salvage and Demolition Overview

Construction of the new Menominee Elementary School began in the summer of 2023. Stay tuned for updates!

Design meetings with the school district, Menominee Nation, and Bray Architects are being planned to develop the identity and branding design for Menominee Elementary School. Stay tuned for more details!

Oshkosh’s New Public Elementary School Officially Named Menominee Elementary School 

Oshkosh’s new elementary school, which will open in the fall of 2024, will be named Menominee Elementary School. The Menominee Tribal Legislature approved the District’s request to use the Menominee name during its meeting on February 2, 2023. The Oshkosh school board previously approved the name, pending approval by the Menominee Tribal Legislature, during their January 28 Regular Meeting. More information is available in the following District announcements:

• Announcing Menominee Elementary School in Oshkosh (02.10.23) 
• Oshkosh’s New Public Elementary School Aims to Honor Menominee Tribe (01.26.23)

The Menominee, an Algonkian-speaking people, are the only present-day tribe in Wisconsin whose origin story indicates they have always lived in Wisconsin. The City of Oshkosh is located on the ancestral homelands of the Menominee and was named after Menominee Chief Oshkosh. The new public elementary school will be located across the street from Menominee Park. Originally called North Park, the park was renamed in 1911 when Colonel John Hicks gave the City of Oshkosh a statue of Chief Oshkosh. Menominee Park stretches over 109 acres on the eastern side of stunning Lake Winnebago and is a prime spot to enjoy some of the area’s natural beauty.

On Tuesday, August 22, the Oshkosh community joined together to celebrate the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Menominee Elementary School. The event featured comments school and district leaders, as well as a representative from the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Students, staff, current and past members of the Board of Education, members of the District’s Facilities Advisory Committee, tribal representatives, and local dignitaries participated in ceremonial shovel turns. LEARN MORE