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Students getting prepared for start of school year
Orientation
Incoming freshmen spent part of a recent end-of-summer day being led by orientation crew members on a campus tour at Oakdale High School; classes resume for students in both the Oakdale and Riverbank school districts this week. Photo By Jeff Kettering

Summer vacation has come to an end, with students in both the Oakdale and Riverbank Unified school districts heading back to the classrooms.

First day of school is Thursday, Aug. 6 and along with the brand new to school transitional kindergarten students, seasoned veterans will make their way into familiar hallways as they get ready to embark on the 2026-27 school year. For the incoming seniors, it will be the final year of their high school journey, as they look toward graduation next May.

In Oakdale, elementary schools are Cloverland, Fair Oaks, Magnolia and Sierra View. The district also includes Oakdale Junior High School for seventh and eighth graders, Oakdale High School, East Stanislaus High School, Valley Oak Online Learning Academy and Oakdale Charter School. District Superintendent is Larry Mendonca and the Oakdale Joint Unified School District office is at 168 S. Third Ave., Oakdale.

In Riverbank, elementary sites are California Avenue Elementary and Mesa Verde; Riverbank Language Academy enrolls students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade; Cardozo Middle School is for sixth through eighth grade students. Riverbank High School and Adelante High School round out the campuses. District Superintendent is Dr. Constantino Aguilar and the Riverbank Unified School District office is at 6715 Seventh St., Riverbank.

Along with the classes resuming in both districts on Aug. 6, the first couple of weeks also typically include ‘Back To School’ nights for parents to meet teachers, learn about the classroom schedule, tour the campuses and more.

RUSD