Othello School District outlines ‘Husky Hub’ plan to integrate Desert Oasis students at Othello High

Assistant Superintendent Jessica Schenk and district staff presented an update on the Othello High School “Husky Hub” integration project, describing goals, technical structures and next steps for bringing Desert Oasis High School (DOHS) students and services onto the OHS campus.

Schenk told the board the Husky Hub is meant to increase students’ sense of belonging and provide coordinated systems of support so “students and staff are known and cared for” and adults are equipped to support students’ academic success. The presentation drew on focus-group feedback gathered from 11 groups and a district visit to Sunnyside High School to study systems used there. Sunnyside’s turnaround — cited in the presentation as having faced a graduation rate near 48 percent during its earlier work — informed the district’s emphasis on replicable systems rather than ad-hoc fixes.

Technical details discussed included a staffing role for Joshua (Josh) Tovar, who will hold two responsibilities: assistant principal at Othello High School and director of student success at the district level. Tovar is described as having experience in intensive interventions and attendance/truancy work; his work will be based on the OHS campus. The district identified the former technology building (the old district office brick building) as the primary physical space for hub activities; the presentation said the building will house counseling, an online-learning area and a lab for alternative-learning experiences, while the server room must remain in place.

Board members and presenters emphasized that the Hub is not intended to segregate DOHS students permanently. For the first two years, DOHS students will be scheduled into dedicated hub classes to ensure continuity and support, but they will also take other classes on the OHS campus. Detailed teacher assignments and specific hub-class lists were deferred to a follow-up meeting; administrators said an “all-day” planning meeting was scheduled the following day to finalize those items.

Administrators said the hub will centralize supports — credit recovery, counseling, flexible scheduling, connections to community partners and transportation assistance — and provide easier access for students who need alternate-learning options. Othello High School Principal Kat Atkinson and district staff are continuing to refine staff placement, and the district will provide a subsequent update with more granular details and schedules.

Votes and routine business: The board approved required approvals (motion passed 5–0) and approved early accounts-payable warrants with one board member abstaining (vote recorded as 4 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain). There was no vote taken at this meeting to surplus DOHS facilities or to finalize changes to district-owned property; administrators said they did not want to place activities in the current DOHS facility if the board later decides to surplus the building.

The board scheduled a Hiawatha Elementary site visit for March 17 at 8:00 a.m. and announced it would adjourn into a 45-minute executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss sale or lease of land and the performance of a public employee.

No formal adoption of the Husky Hub program or binding facility decision occurred at this meeting; administrators asked for feedback and emphasized ongoing community communication.