Calculating your Child's Grade
Use the date of birth to determine which grade a student will be in. Children who are 5 on or before September 1 of the school year must enter kindergarden. Children enter 1st grade after kindergarden and complete mandatory schooling either at the end of the 12th grade or on their 18th birthday. Parents who are concerned that a child's grade may be too high can speak to the school principal to discuss proper grade placement.
Who is required to attend school?
Wisconsin state law requires that children who are eligible for kindergarden be enrolled and attend. Children who are younger than 5 on September 1 are not required to attend school.
Oshkosh Area School District
All public schools in Oshkosh are in the Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) and have the same superintendent and school board. See the full list of public schools on the Oshkosh School District web site.
Which school should my child attend?
If attending a public school, students must generally attend the school that is assigned to the student's neighborhood. See one of the Oshkosh Public Schools Boundary Maps for details. Schools are not ranked and do not have a reputation for having different levels of academic rigor. Office of International Education staff are not able to make school recommendations.
Public Elementary School (the nearest elementary school to UW Oshkosh)
If you live very near the UW Oshkosh campus, you will apply to Read Elementary School.
Read Elementary School Registration
- You must first know where you will live in Oshkosh. You must choose housing within the Read Elementary School boundary in order to register at Read Elementary. When your housing is confirmed, you must ask for your housing address.
- Email your housing address to Mrs. Hamilton at Read Elementary School using this email address: Marybeth.hamilton@oshkosh.k12.wi.us. In your email, also request an “enrollment packet” and tell the school your child's level of English proficiency.
- To register, you must submit forms requested by the school in the enrollment packet, plus:
- a birth certificate for the school-age child
- the school fee ($20 per child as of February 2013)
- If you cannot live within this school’s boundary, you can still try to register at this school. In this case, complete an "Out of Area Attendance" form. If there is still open space at Read Elementary School just before the school year begins, you may be able to register there.
Public Middle Schools and Public High Schools
For Public Middle Schools and Public High Schools, see the Oshkosh School District website (linked above).
Private Schools
Oshkosh also has a number of private schools which can accept international students, including Oshkosh Christian School International Admissions (ages 4-18) and Lourdes Academy (High School).
School Transportation
The city of Oshkosh does not normally provide transportation to/from school. Children can, however, choose to use city buses. For more information, see the Oshkosh Public School District "transportation" web page.