Oshkosh West High School - Notebook Yearbook (Oshkosh, WI)

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Schools the school board considered closing included: 1. Green Meadow. 2. Jacob Shapiro. 3. Jefferson. 4. Lincoln. 5. Smith. 6. Members of the board consider closings at a meeting. As a decision drew near, more and more parents attended meetings. 111

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Board Tries To Resolve Closings Students at North and West went home for Christmas vacation in a happier mood than usual. The Oshkosh School Board had just decided to keep both high schools open after careful deliberation about whether or not to combine them to one high school building. Public opposition seemed to be the only way to save neighborhood schools. As the months went by, the high schools were not the only schools threatened by cutbacks. The school board also proposed the closings of Jacob Shapiro, Sunset, Smith, and Green Meadow over the next six years. One option was to comb ine at least one middle school grade with a high school. “| will not support a grade 8 to 12 high school,” said Joseph Bauer. ‘Some attempt should be made to increase the capacity of our high schools, but not by putting eighth graders in them.” Another alternative was to open portions of West, Jacob Shapiro, or Roosevelt to the Fox Valley Technical Institute. Students attend- ing Jacob Shapiro could be transferred to Franklin or South Park Middle School. Fifty percent of Shapiro’s students were bused. Built in 1970, Shapiro was not in a growth area. It was seen as a very salable facility. The closing of Shapiro would mean an annual cost reduction of $85,087, without considering revenues from sale lease of the buildilng or wage and fringe benefits paid out. Parents disputed the closing of Shapiro by means of letters to the Northwes- tern, and high attendance at PTA and school board meetings. Smith School also received support, as a number of parents wore cardboard buttons which said ‘Save Smith School’’. Located in a large residential area, Smith was seen as an attractive feature for people moving to Oshkosh. If Smith were closed, this area would be without a school. Daily transportation to and from school would be difficult. The relocation of elementary contents and playground equipment would cost a total of $49,450. The closing of Sunset School would save the least amount of money, $46,080. Students now attending Sunset would be trans- ferred to Read Elementary and Merrill Middle Schools. The added students would increase Read and Merrill’s capacity to 85%. The closing of Shapiro, Smith, and Sunset would save an annual amount of $207,260, assuming the facilities would dissolve. Green Meadow could not be closed and housed at South Park along with Smith and Shapiro, as suggested without straining South Park’s facilities. However, the 94 projected K-5 Green Meadow students could be transferred intact to Roosevelt. The five year building maintenance needs ($99,100) of green Meadow would be saved if the school were closed. Concerned citizens accused the school board of drifting toward larger elementary schools. They considered smaller elementary schools better since this is where the groundwork for future adults’ skills in reading and math are laid. On Wednesday, February 29, 1984, the board decided not to decide. No board member wanted to close any particular school, and with elections coming up in April, any decision made might not have been binding - Kelly Sedlachek wi’ SCHOOL BOARD: FIRST ROW: Claud Thompson, David Diercks, Robert Ko- sanke. ROW TWO: Dennis McHugh, Robert Davis, Joseph Bauer, William Glatz. 110

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People To See-9 A-D Jerry Abitz, Joann Ader, Brenda AIl- brecht, Michael Albright, Troy Aldridge, Cynthia Algrem, Lori Anderson, Mi- chael J. Anderson. Tracy Angwin, Christian Baier, Mat- thew Balke, Tracy Bargenquast, Conan Barta, Scott Bartelt, Scott Bartnik, Jenni- fer Basiks. Michelle Beaulieu, Janet Beck, Scott Beck, Mary Becker, Ronald Becker, Ronald Behlman, Rusty Bender, Scott Berholtz Kelly Berndt, Steven Bernhard, Duane Berry, Michael Berry, Jeffrey Binder, Vanessa Blanchette, Brian Bloeshl, Lisa Boese