The Oakdale Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees ratified the tentative agreement between the district and the classified employees union in an action at the May 9 regular meeting. The California School Employees Association (CSEA) #830 and the district negotiated and the membership voted in favor of ratification. The agreement is fair and equitable to all parties involved, said Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Superintendent-elect Marc Malone.

The agreement will remain in full force until June 30, 2011. The ratified tentative agreement includes the continuation of a 2.5 percent reduction through the 2011-2012 salary schedule. The fiscal impact of the bargaining agreement on the 2011-2012 budget is a savings of $144,523. A successor agreement for contract language will be negotiated in July 2011 for the 2011-2012 school year.

Student board representative Daniel Dunning took the gavel and chaired the May 9 regular meeting, as it was his last as a sitting member. The board praised Dunning for the “outstanding” job he did as the student representative, further noting that he raised the bar, was a gentleman, articulate, and prepared.

Superintendent Fred Rich also announced that the meeting was his final board meeting and Malone will take his spot for the June meeting.

Dunning also introduced Oakdale High School junior Paul Perrone who will serve as next year’s student representative to the OJUSD Board of Trustees.

In reports, Oakdale Teachers Association President Linda Kraus said that California is in a “state of emergency” where schools are suffering because of state budget cuts. She stated that the California Teachers Association declared this week as a “Week of Action,” a grassroots effort where each day this week a different activity is scheduled at local, regional, and state levels.

“Our schools and our communities cannot afford to take any more cuts,” Kraus said.

Among the efforts, teachers handed out flyers to parents with information about the cuts on Tuesday, May 10, urging them to contact their legislators to extend the temporary taxes that are set to sunset in June.

Further, Kraus stated that teacher Stacey Graham will serve as the new OTA President, starting in June. Kraus has held the position for 10 years and will go on to serve as the council chairperson for the next two years at the CTA Stanislaus Service Center.

The next regular meeting of the OJUSD Board of Trustees will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 13 at the Oakdale City Council Chambers, 277 N. Second.