Oasis Academy: Building a future in Fallon

Nevada’s newest high school opened its doors to the public with a ribbon cutting July 30 to showcase its commitment to education in Churchill County.

Oasis Academy’s college prep high school will welcome almost 200 students later this month to a new school that cost more than $8.3 million. The William N. Pennington Foundation, which has been a friend to Churchill County with a number of projects, provided a $4.3 million grant to help with the construction of the building off Venturacci Lane.

Rochelle Tisdale, Oasis Academy’s high school principal, showed her enthusiasm for the new year and students at the ribbon cutting.

“We are super excited,” she told a crowd of more than 100 people. “We have a state-of-the-art building to help our students grow.”

Tisdale said she envisions more students will want to attend Oasis.

“We could expand the facility in a year or two to accommodate the growth in the community,” she added.

Melissa Mackedon, one of the founders of Oasis Academy 13 years ago, who served as the school’s chief executive officer, became Nevada’s executive director of the State Public Charter School Authority in late October 2023. She attended the ribbon cutting and expressed her gratitude to the school’s staff and the community.

“This has been a decade of hard work on behalf of a lot of people … our board, Dusty Casey (chief financial officer and athletic director), Rochelle, and myself,” she said. “There were a lot of hours of hard work and planning. It’s nice to see it (the new school) come to fruition on time and debt free. It’s just amazing, a huge relief and accomplishment.”

Tisdale, who spoke the following day at the monthly Churchill Entrepreneurial Development Agency breakfast, said the school bought the former Venturacci Ranch land years ago, yet, she said Oasis didn’t have any immediate plans for the land. Once enrollment boomed when students were able to take dual-credit high-school courses, she realized there would a need for a larger school.

Tisdale said the Pennington foundation’s matching funds for construction and an additional $600,000 for other items such as furniture, helped Oasis. She added the subcontractors and CC Communications worked diligently to ensure the school opened on time.

“Kudos to Frank Woodliff (the school’s architect),” Tisdale added. “He was down here every day to follow the progress.”

Tisdale said the school’s enrollment in seventh and eighth grades is at capacity with 72 students each, and the entire academy from first to 12th grades is 810.

“We are full,” she said. “We don’t have any openings. We have an extensive waiting list.”

In the future, she said plans for the next phase are formulating for Oasis to add a gymnasium which will also have four classrooms, a kitchen and a stage area.

Oasis’ graduation rate has been 100%. Eric Grimes, a history and government teacher, said the senior class hauled in more than $2 million in scholarships.

“Most of them also qualified for the Millennium Scholarship,” he added.

Capt. Shane Tanner, commanding officer at Naval Air Station Fallon, has had several daughters attend the academy.

“Obviously, schools matter to the military, and you can build a community around a school,” he said.

Tanner said once a sailor is tabbed for assignment to Fallon, then the family begins looking at the schools in their new hometown.

“I can tell you Oasis knows that, and the kids matter to the Oasis family,” he said.

What impressed Tanner about the building was the entrance identified by 1 Bighorn Way. The mascot is the bighorn sheep.

“The address describes the Oasis approach, something parents and the military community understands,” he said. “When the Navy has to recruit people to come to NAS Fallon, we tell them we have the best of the best. They will expect the same out of the schools like Oasis.”

Other speakers expressed their appreciation to the community and their employees. Jim Magrogan, vice president of business operations for Miles Construction, said the entire process from beginning to end went smoothly.

“I’m mostly proud of our relationship with the community and to do this for the Oasis family,” he said.

Magrogan said the construction firm, subcontractors, the city of Fallon and schools worked together as a team.

Isabel Graf, Gov. Joe Lombardo’s educational policy adviser, presented a certificate on his behalf.

Said Graf, “The grand opening of the new high school shows the hard work, dedication and commitment for improving the lives of Nevada’s young citizens.”