The Oakdale Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to move forward with a Request for Qualifications for architectural services for the district’s new Central Kitchen and a multi purpose room design that will be for Fair Oaks and Cloverland elementary schools.

The board also approved a Request for Statement of Qualifications and Proposal for Lease-Leaseback services for the new Central Kitchen and associated site work. This is to engage a contractor in the design of the kitchen up front so as to obtain information on costs. However, a contract cannot be signed until the cost of the facility is approved.

The estimated cost for the Central Kitchen is $1.1 million, which will be paid for through developer fees and prior construction project savings.

The multi purpose room approval will take place at a future board meeting.

The board also voted 4-0, with trustee Bill Dyer abstaining, to enter into a contract modification, renewal, and extension with the district’s educational facilities construction management consultant, Pacific Program Management, owned by Ron Holcombe. OJUSD Superintendent Marc Malone reported that the contract modification with Pacific Program Management will be at a reduced rate and that Holcombe will help OJUSD develop its own construction team to manage future projects in the district.

In other business, the board approved the first interim financial report, as of Oct. 31, 2012 for fiscal year 2012-2013. OJUSD Chief Business Officer Susan Dyke reported that revenue for the general fund has increased by $2.99 million, largely due to the passage of Proposition 30. Dyke said that $2.6 million of that amount is in ongoing revenues and $417,000 is from one-time revenues. Dyke said the district will receive its first payment from Prop. 30 in June.

She also said that 88 percent of the increase in expenditures – $934,000 – is in one-time costs and 12 percent – $134,000 – are ongoing costs, for a total of $1.068 million. She added that deficit spending has now been cut to about $550,000. Enrollment numbers seem to be steady.

The next regular meeting of the OJUSD Board of Trustees will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 14 in the Oakdale City Council Chambers, 277 N. Second.