Safety and Security

The Oshkosh Area School District utilizes the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) developed by the I Love U Guys Foundation in collaboration with law enforcement.

The Standard Response Protocol is based not on individual scenarios but on the response to any given scenario. Like the Incident Command System (ICS), SRP demands a specific vocabulary but also allows for great flexibility.

The premise is simple: there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these actions, each is followed by a “Directive.” Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers and first responders. 

(Click the image below to view as a PDF.)

2023-24 Inclement (Bad) Weather Day Plan

During the 2023-24 school year, the OASD will use a combination of inclement (bad) weather days and digital learning days in response to winter weather. At this time and per an update provided on December 1, 2023, the following approach will be followed district-wide.

Bad Weather Days 1 and 2: In the event of bad weather, the District will use the first two bad weather days as “traditional snow days” for all schools (prek-12). There will be no digital learning for students. (NOTE: These two days can be absorbed into the calendar without needing to make up minutes of instruction.)
 
Bad Weather Days 3+: If there is a need for a third or more bad weather day:

• High Schools and Middle Schools:
  • What: Will have digital learning days.    
    • Course content will be posted in Canvas by 9 a.m. that day.  
    • Learning will be pre-recorded and self-paced (no live instruction).
  • Why: Middle and high school students are expected to take Chromebooks home every day and are capable of logging on and getting their coursework online with little or no assistance needed at home. Additionally, middle and high schools do not have as many instructional minutes built into their calendars as elementary schools do.
• Elementary Schools: 
  • What: 
    • If bad weather can be predicted and a bad weather day is called before 1 p.m., elementary students will have a digital learning day and Chromebooks will be sent home with students. 
      • Course content will be posted in Canvas by 9 a.m. that day.  
      • Learning will be pre-recorded and self-paced (no live instruction).
    • If bad weather is not predicted and a bad weather day is decided after 1 p.m. (including late evening or early morning) elementary students will have a “traditional snow day”. 
  • Why: Elementary students do not take their Chromebooks home every day. Enough time is needed for elementary staff to send Chromebooks, instructions, and other material home with elementary students. We also understand that elementary students will need support from home in order to log on and engage in their coursework. Additionally, elementary schools have more instructional minutes in their school year calendar and can absorb five bad weather days. 
• Oshkosh Early Learning: PreK and early childhood will have “traditional snow days” when school is canceled for inclement weather. 

When a bad weather decision is made, the expectations for each level (high, middle, elementary, and early learning) will be clearly communicated. In making this decision, the District aims to find a balance between appropriately responding to Wisconsin’s winter weather, and taking advantage of our ability to provide virtual instruction. 

REMINDER: If school is closed due to weather (resulting in a digital learning day for some or all schools or a traditional snow day for elementary schools) all school district-sponsored activities, athletics, before and after-school programs, and Oshkosh Recreation Department activities are also canceled. Should weather conditions improve dramatically during the day, high school co-curricular activities may be held; an official announcement from the OASD would be made.

The first priority of school staff is to ensure the safety of those on campus during an emergency situation.  Additionally, it is critically important that parents and students have accurate information, not rumors.  District staff will work with school staff to notify families of the situation as quickly as possible. In an emergency situation, you can expect to receive communications in multiple ways including:

• Infinite Campus (Parent Portal): A message system for parents/guardians. When necessary, the District will send out messages via email, phone and text message to inform families of unexpected events and to communicate in the midst of an emergency (school closing due to extreme weather, lockdown situation, etc.) To ensure that you receive emergency communications please check your Contact Preferences within Infinite Campus. 

PARENTS: Please update your phone numbers and email addresses with your school when they change so that the district has your most up-to-date information in order to notify you of an emergency. Detailed instructions are also available (see below) for you to review and update your contact information within Infinite Campus as/if needed.

Instructions: Updating Emergency Notification Settings in IC

• Website: Oshkosh Area School District website (updates are posted on the home page);
• Social Media: The District has a presence on Facebook and Twitter (@OshkoshSchools) and will post emergency information and updates on these pages. You must like the District’s Facebook page and follow the District on Twitter in order to receive these posts. 
• Local Media: The District will provide timely updates to local television stations, radio stations, and newspapers for their broadcasts, publications, websites and social media sites.

All OASD exterior doors are closed and locked during the school day. When arriving at a school, visitors must first ring a doorbell. School staff will speak to and view the visitor to determine their reason for entering before letting them in to the school’s secure entrance. Upon entry, visitors must report to the school office to sign in via the OASD Visitor Management System.

So that our staff can monitor each individual, we ask that visitors not hold the door for others.

In our continual effort to increase safety and security at our schools, the Oshkosh Area School District has updated its safety protocols. Effective September 1, 2023 all OASD schools will use a Chromebook kiosk station for our OASD Visitor Management System during school hours. This new system replaces the Raptor system. It was developed based on school safety best practices, and with feedback from families, staff, and community members as we strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment while maintaining our high security standards.  

Student and staff safety is our top priority, and knowing who is in our buildings, as well as having an orderly check-in/out process, is a key component of providing a safe learning and working environment throughout our school district. Every school building in the OASD now has an enhanced door security process.  

• When entering a school or building, visitors will be asked to sign in with their first and last name, reason for visit, and destination in the building.  
• A visitor’s badge will be filled out with their name and date. 
• The visitor must place the badge on their clothing in an area that is easy to see, preferably upper chest/shoulder area.
• When leaving a school or building, visitors will be asked to leave through the same door, check out with their first and last name, and return/throw away their visitor badge. 

(NOTE: A visitor’s badge is necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork. However, volunteers and all contractors or subcontractors must follow the new visitor management process at all times.)

As a reminder, all OASD exterior doors are closed and locked during the school day. When arriving at a school, visitors must first ring a doorbell. School staff will speak to and view the visitor to determine their reason for entering before letting them in to the school’s secure entrance. Upon entry, visitors must report to the school office to sign in via the new OASD Visitor Management System. So that our staff can monitor each individual, we ask that visitors not hold the door for others.