Read Elementary School

 Read goes beyond meeting the needs of its 369 students to support the families and is an integral part of the community and the surrounding neighborhood. With the school district’s core value of having a “safe learning and working environment” we know this need goes beyond the classroom. With a larger number of students in the school, increased number of kids with social, emotional, and behavioral issues, increased students that are economically disadvantaged, and increased trauma and mental health crises, our team of parents, community members, and staff are looking to create a new and updated playground that can help address many of these needs.  
 

Read Elementary School pulls from 8 Neighborhood Associations including: Ferry Crossing, Lumber River, Bent Woods, Sawyer-Paine, Congress Field, Historic Jackson, Historic Fourth Ward, and Downtown 

As of the 2022-23 school year, Read has 378 students. In terms of demographics[1], 53.33% of the student population are students of color, 15% are students with disabilities, 6.6% are English language learners, and 62% are identified as economically disadvantaged. Read pulls from a large area that includes a large representation from the growing Oshkosh refugee community with students from Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Yemen, Uganda, Honduras, Malawi, Syria, Tanzania, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Iraq[2]. In addition, the school has a high transient population represented by a turnover rate of 23.8%. Read staff know the importance their impact can have on students whether they stay for 6 years or are only there for a few months. We want every day at Read to be a touch point where kids can connect with peers, supportive adults, and be a safe environment that they may not have elsewhere.
   

[1]All demographics were collected from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Report Card. https://apps2.dpi.wi.gov/reportcards/home 

[2] Data from Read Elementary School