It was what’s now become the customary short but sweet inaugural school board meeting for the 2018-19 school year, as administrators, employees and community members gathered at the Tech Center on the night of Monday, Aug. 13.
As the kick off meeting of a new school year – the first day for students was Aug. 9 – the agenda proved to be light with just a few action items. Developer fees appear to continue to hold the most promise for the district as Chief Business Officer Susan Dyke gave the fourth quarter report.
“We have made very good use of our developer fees,” Dyke stated. “It’s funded all of the projects we’ve had over the last five years.”
Funds which currently include those for the second phase of the Oakdale School Farm, as well as a library remodel at Magnolia Elementary School. Dyke reported the current fund balance at $873,000 and change. Once the million dollar mark from developer fees is reached it will be put toward Oakdale High School’s new band, choir and wrestling rooms.
“As Susan has mentioned, we don’t build it until with have the money,” Superintendent of Schools Marc Malone said.
Malone then turned the conversation to Oakdale Community Sharing, as he addressed the next action item.
“Community Sharing, due to some benevolent gifts to them, now is in possession of a large metal building they are going to construct,” he said of the non-profit’s space expansion, which will replace its current limited space.
The superintendent indicated that, as a non-profit with limited funding, the group had requested the district to waive their developer fees. That would save the organization just over $3,500.
“For them every cent is going to matter,” Malone told the board.
The superintendent further recognized the benefits the services offer to students of the district as well as their families. Board members subsequently approved waiving developer fees for the non-profit’s new building.
Upcoming events include busy nights for the local campuses as the following Back to School nights are scheduled: Oakdale Junior High, Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m.; Elementary sites, Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. and East Stanislaus, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. Oakdale High School’s was hosted Aug. 14.
