It is a time which many have long anticipated and is now just around the corner. Oakdale Joint Unified schools will reopen for the 2022-2023 school year on Thursday, Aug. 4. Round-up events are scheduled this week at both Oakdale Junior High, Wednesday July 27; as well as Oakdale High School, Thursday, July 28 and Friday, July 29.

“The way it looks right now we are as close to ‘back to normal’ as we have been in quite some time,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Kline said.

The superintendent went on to state that the wearing of masks continues to be optional. COVID tests are available upon request. With home tests now available, Kline said they will work with parents on testing at home, noting that thousands of home tests are available on school sites.

“I’ve got to commend our health staff. Our school nurses and our health clerks. They are diligent, absolutely diligent,” Kline shared of the past year and a half. “There were peaks at certain times of the year and they responded.”

According to Kline, the Department of Public Health is moving toward home testing, so the district will follow suit. Onsite testing will remain available, however, for those who choose that option.

Now beginning his second year as OJUSD Superintendent, Kline offered praise to the school board as well as members of his cabinet, site principals and their staff.

“They took the brunt of all this stuff this last year and it was truly commendable,” he said. “They were just absolutely incredible and their ability to handle change and deal with difficult times. They did it with pride. They were diligent and remained professional this entire time. So, congratulations to them and thank God we are as normal as we can be.”

Kline additionally offered praise to the students and parents of OJUSD for enduring a time in education which was unprecedented.

“Approximately 5,000 students and their parents, they did a wonderful job in negotiation of these things that were thrust upon us,” he said.

While Kline was complimentary of all involved in the district during his first year at the helm, he shared there is still work to do by way of making up lost ground from the 18 months total of adjustments made due to the pandemic.

He pointed out that they still have to face the obvious impact the past two years have had on the students, addressing learning loss as best as they can along with an upgraded program that will help identify areas of need K-8th grade.

“We are going to implement a new social/emotional learning program,” Kline said. “It’s called Step Up and that’ll be at our elementary sites. We’ve also expanded our staffing at our 7 to 12 sites to address those needs as well.”

Kline shared he also felt the importance of bringing activities back to all the campuses. A void which has greatly impacted students of all grade ranges.

The issue of school safety will also be one which is looked at more closely moving into the 2022-23 school year.

“Our district is proactive. We’re not reactive. We don’t wait for something to happen and then respond,” he said.

Kline, along with his team, review the safety plan annually and update. A crisis response training will be hosted this year for all staff, as well as updating fencing at school sites.

“There’s a term which is across our nation now, it’s a “Hardening Up” our sites. Just to make sure that people on our campuses are supposed to be on our campuses,” Kline stated.

“This Hardening Up our district, we work with our police force and they have been an extreme support throughout the whole time and they continue to be as such,” he continued. “I can’t thank the city and I can’t thank OPD enough.”

As for the weeks and months which will follow, the superintendent shared his eagerness to have everyone back on campuses and a returned focus to education without disruption.

“Looking forward to having our teachers do what they do best. Our sites, working with our students, our parents and our community. Now we have the opportunity to do what we do best and that is service our kids.”