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Antioch School District has relented to the pleas of Oakley parents and will allow the transfers to continue for those already enrolled in the Oakley Union Elementary School District. However, those children entering kindergarten may be forced to attend the Carmen Dragon School.
Oakley Union Elementary School District recently sent home a sheet of paper, with existing transfer students, detailing the requirements to stay enrolled. Each district's governing board sets its own policy and priorities for transfer requests. Priorities might include, but are not limited too, the location of a child's day care provider in the district, medical care needs (such as requiring a location near a doctor in case of emergencies) or current enrollment of a sibling. It is helpful to know what criteria the district will use in evaluating requests.
There are few state guidelines. But, once your child secures an interdistrict transfer, it is generally valid for one year, but each district has the option to set its own terms and length for the interdistrict agreement. An interdistrict agreement between districts may not exceed five school years but may be renewed in additional five-year increments.
In recent conversation with Dr.Rogers, Superintendent Oakley Union Elementary School District, I discussed time lines. He stated that the handouts should be turned by April 15th (a date that is hard to forget). A reminder notice will be sent to those who miss the date. He is looking at the first part of May to send out acceptance notification. In all likelihood those children currently enrolled and their new siblings will be accepted.
Unfortunately, for all of us the continued financial crisis gripping the Antioch School District will continue to haunt us. There may come a time in the near future where the District fails and is taken over by another entity. How they react to our pleas may be based on the bottom line.
In the meantime, Oakley will have a bond measure on the November ballot. The bond monies will used to provide matching local funds to build to new elementary schools. One, located next to Delta Vista and the other on Carpenter Road. If the bond passes schools could be ready by 2006. So, although we can’t vote for these bonds we can support them.
| A site Index |
Who are we?
In the News
Oakley Science Fair
Transferring to Oakley Schools - updated 07/30/03
A permanent fix?
Additional Information
School Board Meetings
I Cannot Go to School Today
Email Contact
Interesting Social and Education Links
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The Oakley Orphans is a group dedicated to the idea that all of Oakley's children belong in Oakley Schools. We started as a parade entry in the 2000 Almond Festival. A small group of childern parading to draw attention to the problem that effects parents and children living west of Empire Ave. The problem: All children grades K-12 living west of Empire Ave are required to enroll in the Antioch School system (the actual school line travels north on Empire Ave to Highway 4. West on 4 to Big Break. North on Big Break to the river. Everything west of this line is in the Antioch School District).
"If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut." -- Albert Einstein
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Oakley Press 03/22/02
Brentwood News 03/22/02
Brentwood News 06/22/01
""The purpose of education...is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions."
-- James Baldwin, from "A Talk to Teachers."
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Oakley Science Week 2003 Schedule |
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Community Science Faire
featuring Chabot Space & Science Center
O’Hara Park School
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Monday, April 28, 2003 - Wonders of Magnetism
4:30 or 5:00 pm Oakley Elementary School
Science Discovery Family Night – hands on activities for the whole family
6:30-8:00pm Gehringer Elementary School
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 - East Bay Regional Park District - Natural Science Program with Mike Moran Time TBA Vintage Parkway Elementary School
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 - Quakes & Shakes Lawrence Hall of Science 4:00 to 5:00 PM Laurel Elementary School
Thursday, May 1, 2003 - Star Gazing & Recycled Craft Extravaganza 6:00 to 9:00 pm Delta Vista School
Friday, May 2, 2003 - Chemistry is Fun with Dow Chemical Chemist Kent Campbell Time TBA O’Hara Park School – not confirmed
Saturday, May 3, 2003 - Animals of Mt. Diablo presented by Lindsay Wildlife Museum 11:00am at the Oakley Library (Freedom High School)
Kite Festival
"Education must enable young people to effect what they have recognized to be right, despite hardships, despite dangers, despite inner skepticism, despite boredom, and despite mockery from the world. . . ." -- Kurt Hahn"
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Can I transfer my child from Antioch to Oakley? |
The status of the Oakley Orphans has changed. On Wednesday, March 13, the Oakley Union Elementary School Board approved a resolution to let children from the west side of Empire Road enroll in their district. Our thanks and appreciation to the school board for this decision and their recognition of the importance of children attending schools in their own community.
However, a few caveats must be listed; the transfer will be limited by available space, meaning that your children may not end up in the Oakley school closest to your home. The process will implemented on a first come first serve selection. The request for an interdistrict transfer will have to be made on a yearly basis. The Liberty High School District has a policy of accepting children enrolled in the Oakley middle schools regardless of where they live.
To effect the interdistrict transfer:
- get interdistrict transfer form from, Antioch Unified School District, 510 G Street Antioch , 706-4100. Fill out your form. They must authorize the transfer before you can proceed.
- Take the approved interdistrict transfer form to the Oakley School District, 91 Mercedes Lane, 625 –1863 or Liberty, 20 Oak St, Brentwood.
July 30,2003
Freedom Interdistrict transfer policy is - as long as they have room (and grades/behavior is satisfactory) - they will approve Interdistrict Transfer requests for students who have attended Oakley middle schools.
This is the first year that Freedom has been impacted - specifically in special education. Several requests for Interdistrict Transfers have been denied because there is not room in Freedom's special education program.
In addition, they have put "on hold" other requests (that have been received during the summer after they established master schedules with the number of teachers needed) until they find out how many students attend school during the first week. If space is available, then some of those students requesting Interdistrict Transfers may be enrolled. If space is not available, unfortunately those students will not be able to enroll.
Until Heritage High is opened, a new high school on Balfour in Brentwood that will start construction during the summer of this year and be occupied 2005, projections are that space at Freedom will continue to be a major issue.
Students (not in special education) currently enrolled in an Oakley middle school with an Interdistrict Transfer who maintain satisfactory grades/behavior and request Interdistrict Transfers during the time of registration next February should be enrolled in Freedom the following year.
"Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army."
Edward Everett (1794-1865) US statesman, orator
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What is being done to move Oakley childern out of the Antioch School District? |
We must continue our discussions with the Antioch School District. These discussions will be limited to two areas. Either they build a school in Oakley or they allow a transfer of land and monies from Antioch to Oakley and Liberty.
Superintendents
Rick Rogers Oakley Union Elementary
Dan Smith Liberty Union
Dennis Goettsch Antioch
An old Chinese proverb says, "A book is like a garden in the pocket."
Now that we will be going to Oakley Schools we need to shake the city up. The approaches to all of Oakley's schools must be made safer. Too many children are walking in the street to get to and from school. There are too many narrow roads that can't support the traffic. A program must be developed to address these problems. We'll steal a name from the state and call it Safe Routes to School.
The idle Transportation/Circulation committee will hold meetings at each school. Meeting with parents, children and educators they will identify missing sidewalks and unsafe paths, trails and roads. They will present the complied list to city council. The list will be ranked and a plan of action will be developed.
The redevelopment agency has committed $729,000 to the improvement of Hill Avenue, Malicoat Avenue, and Douglas Road, and the program also contemplates a number of other roadway projects. O'Hara Park Middle School was recently added as part of the expansion to the Redevelopment agency, Oakley Elementary is already in. Laurel Elementary, Vintage Parkway Elementary, Delta Vista Middle School, and Freedom High School are not in. Gehringer Elementary School itself is not in the redevelopment area, but Main Street in front of the school is.
Schools do receive special attention from the State level. In the past there was a grant program called Hazard Elimination System (HES) that has within the last three years been split to create a program called Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S). The City has applied for those funds in the past (both SR2S and HES), but has not been successful as of yet. The HES program is intended to eliminate known roadway hazards, and SR2S is meant to improve pedestrian facilities to and from school (such as constructing paths or filling in gaps in the sidewalk).
Other improvements will be made as part of development around the school.
Regardless of where the money comes from the parents and students should be informed as to when and where they can expect improvements to occur.
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited." Plutarch
- The process necessary to effect the transfer of territory between the school districts. Read chapter 5.
- Funding issues.
- The total number of children currently living in Oakley and attending school in Antioch.
"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops." Henry Brooks Adams
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School Board Meetings |
http://www.ouesd.k12.ca.us/
Oakley School Board
agenda
Liberty School Board
Second Wednesday of month at 7:00 20 Oak St, Brentwood agenda
Antioch School Board
Time, date and agenda
Oakley City Council
Second and fourth Monday of month at 7:30 at Delta Vista Middle School agenda
Oakley City Planning Commission
First and third Monday of month at 7:30 at Delta Vista Middle School agenda
I
Cannot Go To School Today!
by
Shel Silverstein
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"I
cannot go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My
mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox.
And
there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be the instamatic flu.
I cough
and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in.
My
back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes are cold, my toes are numb,
I have
a sliver in my thumb.
My
neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think
my hair is falling out.
My
elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There's
a hole inside my ear.
I have
a hangnail, and my heart is ...
What? What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is .............. Saturday?
G'bye,
I'm going out to play!"
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