Merced Sun-Star Logo

Challenger ups ante in school Oakdale board race | Merced Sun-Star

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Newsletters
    • Buy Photo
    • FAQ

    • All News
    • Local News
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • UC Merced
    • California News
    • Nation/World
    • Communities
    • Atwater
    • Chowchilla
    • Livingston
    • Los Banos
    • Mariposa & Yosemite
    • All Sports
    • High Schools
    • High School Athletes
    • High School Football
    • Merced College
    • UC Merced
    • Outdoors
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • MLB
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The California Influencer Series
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • All Living
    • Celebrations
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Family
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Brigitte Bowers
    • Debbie Croft
    • Sarah Lim
    • Old Trainer
    • All Entertainment
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • All Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Obituaries
    • View Obituaries
    • Place Obituaries

    • dealsaver
    • Circulars
    • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Pets
    • Garage Sales
    • Real Estate
    • Apartment and Rentals
    • Jobs
    • RVs/Motorhomes
    • Merchandise
    • Service Directory
    • Place an Ad
    • Place Celebration
    • Place Obituary Ad
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Place Legal Ad
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • See Legal Notices
  • Mobile & Apps

State

Challenger ups ante in school Oakdale board race

By Jeff Jardine

jjardine@modbee.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 08, 2009 09:49 PM

OAKDALE — It's been good to be a trustee on the Oakdale Joint Unified School District board these past several years.

Test scores are rising throughout the district. Facilities on all campuses have been improved, and the collection of portable buildings that passed for the junior high is being replaced by permanent classrooms.

And with stable enrollment, Oakdale survived the state budget cuts in better shape than most districts.

"We're still going to hit some bumps," District Superintendent Fred Rich said. "But I believe those bumps will be less dramatic. We have a long-term plan and we've stuck to it. This district, with leadership of this board, has done very well."

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Merced Sun-Star

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Consequently, incumbents Mike House, William Dyer and Rick W. Jones certainly hoped to run unopposed and be spared the cost of financing campaigns.

Instead, they got a challenger who knows how to raise money and whose campaign funding dwarfs anything they expect to spend.

Diane Gilbert, 50, a professional fund-raising consultant and mother of a second-grader, has upped the ante. With 75 donors averaging $150 apiece, she's well on her way to raising the $15,000 she plans to spend on the campaign. She said more contributions are on the way.

"As a challenger, I felt that was an appropriate budget for this race, and hopefully a winning budget," Gilbert said.

House expects to spend $600 as he campaigns for a fifth term on the joint board, and originally budgeted only $200.

"My youngest daughter is getting married (in January)," House said. "My campaign committee is closely tied to the wedding committee. The campaign committee convinced me to get some yard signs."

Dyer, running for his third full term, said he expects to spend less than $2,000. Jones, also a two-termer, declined to give an amount, saying only that he and his wife will finance his campaign.

Goal: More school funding

Gilbert said she isn't targeting any particular incumbent — only a seat on the board — and said her dealings with politicians in Sacramento could benefit the district.

"I want to see if there are ways I can help identify additional funding sources," she said. "That's where my motivation is. I'm good at this."

House said candidates often run for school boards because they're upset with the performance of incumbents.

"That's why we ran (in the 1990s)," he said. "There was something we thought we could do better. But this board has done well. I can go shopping at Save Mart any day or night of the week and not get cornered by somebody who is upset."

Dyer, 76, said he wants one more term.

"There are a couple of unfinished things we've committed to," he said, including a promised aquatics center. He said he'd rather spend time on that than campaigning.

"I want to see those things through. I don't like having to go out and tell people how good I am," Dyer said. "It's what you have to do, though. If people look back at what we've done in academics, athletics, and providing direction and leadership for management, they should be pleased."

Jones, too, feels the district has thrived under the existing board.

"I sort of feel like we've been a Camelot here the past eight to 12 years," said Jones, who attended Fair Oaks Elementary when it opened 45 years ago and helped christen the district's next new elementary school, Sierra View, as a trustee in 2005.

"The things we've achieved are remarkable. The thing (voters) have to ask themselves is, 'Is the district doing better than it was eight years ago?' I think we have one of the best districts in the state."

Bee local columnist Jeff Jardine can be reached at 578-2383 or jjardine@modbee.com.

Related stories from Merced Sun-Star

HOMEPAGE

The Bee's Election Section

September 21, 2009 11:03 PM

state

Meet the Candidate: Diane Gilbert, Oakdale Unified School District

September 28, 2009 12:36 PM

state

Meet the Candidate: Bill Dyer, Trustee for the Oakdale Joint Unified School District

September 24, 2009 11:50 AM

state

Meet the Candidate: Rick W. Jones, Oakdale Joint Unified School District Board Trustee, Area 2

September 15, 2009 01:36 PM

state

Meet the Candidate: Mike House, Trustee for the Oakdale Joint Unified School District

September 16, 2009 08:59 AM

  Comments  

Videos

Story of Amador County deputy digging through snow to rescue woman stranded in freezing house

The ‘super bloom’ in Southern California

View More Video

Trending Stories

This week: More rain. More snow. More freezing temperatures. Here’s what you need to know

February 17, 2019 02:05 PM

Local Roundup: Le Grand, Hilmar soccer win section championships.

February 17, 2019 11:57 AM

Decorative tombstone hid a secret compartment — and a trove of drugs, agents say

February 17, 2019 01:52 PM

No, Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t kill high-speed rail. But what’s his Plan B?

February 18, 2019 03:00 AM

Rare bulldog stolen and taken 2,000 miles, but dogged police officers track it down

February 18, 2019 04:52 AM

Read Next

California

Amador deputy digs through snow to rescue older woman stranded alone in freezing house

By David Caraccio

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 18, 2019 11:19 AM

An Amador County Sheriff’s deputy dug through knee-high snow to rescue an isolated woman from her freezing home in Pioneer, California, on Saturday.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Merced Sun-Star

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE STATE

Northern CA man accused of killing dozens of hawks and owls. Here’s where his case stands

California

Northern CA man accused of killing dozens of hawks and owls. Here’s where his case stands

February 18, 2019 03:00 AM
No, Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t kill high-speed rail. But what’s his Plan B?

Local

No, Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t kill high-speed rail. But what’s his Plan B?

February 18, 2019 03:00 AM
First-ever ‘Jeopardy!” team contest draws top champions

Entertainment

First-ever ‘Jeopardy!” team contest draws top champions

February 18, 2019 12:38 PM

California

Southern California highways reopened after icy storm

February 18, 2019 12:28 PM
Oakland, California diocese names 45 accused of sexual abuse

California

Oakland, California diocese names 45 accused of sexual abuse

February 18, 2019 11:45 AM

California

Latest: 2 Southern California highways reopened after storm

February 18, 2019 11:21 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Merced Sun-Star App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Advertising Information
  • Place Obituary, Celebration
  • Place Classified, Legal
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story