Othello School District outlines plan to integrate Desert Oasis students into Othello High School

Othello School District leaders on Monday presented early plans to integrate Desert Oasis High School students into Othello High School for next year, emphasizing student supports, shared systems and an effort to address families’ worries about credit transfer.

Assistant Superintendent Jessica Schenk told the board the district aimed to base decisions on what affected students, families and staff told planners. “We wanted to make sure that as we do this work, we're not just going in and thinking we know what's needed, but making sure that we really do know what's needed based off of what we've heard from the people that it affects most,” Schenk said, describing work that included multiple focus groups.

District staff reported they held 11 hour-long focus groups in November with students from both schools, parents of Desert Oasis students, teachers, administrators and a community group. Planners compiled responses into a word cloud and a short list of priorities; Schenk said “support” was one of the most frequent themes. From that feedback, the district identified four planning themes to guide the integration: a culture of caring and respect, systems of support, effective communication and technical structures.

Principal Kat Atchison and colleagues outlined how they intend to use those themes to bring DOHS students into the larger Othello campus. Atchison told the board the district has been careful in describing the work to avoid giving the impression that Desert Oasis is being “closed down,” and said staff and families have been part of conversations about the changes. “We've had some really, really interesting conversations with families, with students, and with staff about where we should take this project,” Schenk said.

Board and staff discussion highlighted a central concern raised repeatedly by students and families: credit transfer and transcript clarity. Principal Atchison said, “DOHS students have made it pretty clear they're really concerned about credits,” and indicated the district is working to ensure credits and pathways are clear as students move to the Othello High School setting.

District staff said they are balancing consistency in discipline and academic expectations with personalized supports, and noted the importance of training and resources for staff who will work with the larger combined student population. Presenters said portions of the plan are designed to preserve individual attention for students who previously attended Desert Oasis by building systems within the larger high-school setting.

The presentation also referenced broader state-level funding uncertainty. Schenk said the district is monitoring state proposals on school funding, special education and other items and that final resource allocations will depend on legislative outcomes.

On procedural business, the board approved the meeting agenda and then approved required approvals by voice vote; the chair announced each motion “passes” with five affirmative votes. The motions and their outcomes were procedural and did not change the integration planning described in the presentation.

District staff said slides about the integration were shared with DOHS students and parents last week and that Atchison reviewed the materials with her staff the morning of the meeting. Board members and staff did not take a formal vote on the integration plan at the meeting; presenters framed next steps as continued planning and communication ahead of implementation next school year.