March 2025
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Community Events and Flyers
CONTACT
Menominee Elementary School
915 Hazel St.
Oshkosh, WI 54901
920.808.6440
IN THIS ISSUE
- Yearbook Orders
- Dine & Donate for 5th Grade DARE Shirts
- PTO Photo Shoot Fundraiser
- Parent Portal Attendance
- Referendum
- Open Enrollment and School Choice
- More Information
Important Dates:
March 7: No School
Professional Development
March 24-28: No School
Spring Break
March 31: Return to School
Returning after Spring Break
April 1: End of 3rd Quarter
Time for a fresh start!
April 11: No School
Professional Development
April 18: No School
Mid-Spring Break
May 9: No School
Professional Development
May 26: No School
Memorial Day
June 5: Last Day of School
Happy Summer Break!
Yearbook Orders
ORDER NOW!
Order Deadline: March 17, 2025
CLICK HERE to Order: Menominee Elementary Virtual Flyer
Dine and Donate
PTO Fundraiser
Absence Excuses via the IC Parent Portal
The IC Parent Portal has an option to send a notice to our office when your child will be out of school. Scroll all the way down on the home page and click on Absence Requests. As soon as you know of a vacation or appointment, you can send the request and then you don't have to call in the morning. You can go back and look at all of your attendance requests from the Menu under More, Absence Requests. Please note your child's absence will be marked as "Pending" until the actual date of the absence. Please be sure to add a comment with the reason for the absence or list symptoms if your student is ill. Please submit requests before 8:15am for same-day requests.
Making an Informed Decision: April 1 School Referendum Approaches
We’re just weeks away from a significant moment for our schools—the upcoming vote on the Oshkosh Area School District’s (OASD) $197.8 million facilities referendum. This plan is about more than just buildings—it’s about creating better learning environments and opportunities for our students, improving safety and Americans with Disabilities (ADA) access limitations, and saving money through operational efficiencies, all while maintaining a $0 tax increase to the debt levy. This referendum represents the next step in our community-developed facilities consolidation plan, which began in 2017 and has already delivered significant improvements through Phase 1.
As members of our school community, we know you may have questions or hear questions from others about what this means for our schools. We want to ensure you have the facts and an understanding of the plan before you cast your vote on April 1!
What Will Your Vote Decide?
If the Referendum is Approved:
- A new consolidated middle school will be built at the Shapiro site (close South Park and Perry Tipler, reducing from three to two westside middle schools)
- Carl Traeger, Franklin, and Oakwood Elementary schools will be expanded and renovated (close Roosevelt and Shapiro, reducing from seven to five westside elementary schools)
- Perry Tipler Middle School will be converted into a pre-kindergarten center and recreation department
- A new auditorium will be added to Oshkosh North High School
- Air conditioning will be installed at Emmeline Cook, Lakeside, and Read Elementary schools
- The district will close and seek to sell South Park Middle School, Roosevelt Elementary School, and the downtown recreation center
- Non-district pre-kindergarten leases will be eliminated (approximately $550,000 annual savings)
WATCH! Here is a 3-minute video explaining the scope of our April 1 Facilities Referendum.
If the Referendum is Not Approved:
First and foremost, the OASD will seek community feedback to understand why it did not pass. After review, a process will be developed to adjust accordingly - with the next opportunity to go to referendum being April 2026. Additionally:
- South Park students will remain in a 120-year-old building located within a restricted flight zone
- Virtual learning would be required during emergency repairs at South Park due to insufficient space at other schools
- Shapiro STEM Academy will still close after the 2025-2026 school year due to low enrollment (Note: Shapiro will close regardless of the referendum outcome)
- Planned facilities improvements will not be made
- Annual operational savings from consolidation will not be realized
- Construction costs are projected to increase by 5% annually, potentially raising the project cost from $198M now to $242M by 2029
Upcoming Information Sessions
There are still several opportunities to learn more and ask questions before the vote. Visit oshkosh.k12.wi.us/referendum-2025/information-sessions for a list of upcoming dates - including information sessions and informal Q&A drop-in sessions.
Voting Information
- Election Day: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
- Voter Registration: Visit Myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Voter-Registration
- Early Voting Options:
- Absentee ballots can be requested through Friday, March 28 by 5:00 PM
- Municipalities will begin mailing absentee ballots no later than March 11
- In-person early voting begins March 18 at your local municipal clerk's office (check directly for office hours)
Learn More
For more detailed information about the referendum, including FAQs, videos, floor plans and project details, visit the district's dedicated webpage: oshkosh.k12.wi.us/referendum-2025. You can also contact the district directly with questions at 920.424.0395 or referendum@oshkosh.k12.wi.us.
Open Enrollment & Out of Attendance/School Choice