DSUSD recognized Mr. Richard Oliphant for his generosity and dedication to the district at the July 19 board meeting.

The name Oliphant is synonymous with education.

Parents of five children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren – with that big of an investment in our schools – education has always been top priority for Dick and Jan Oliphant.

In 1976, Dick formed the School Building Corporation for the Desert Sands Unified School District where he served as President over the last 46 years. Leading District bond issues, Mr. Oliphant worked to help individual schools and the District as a whole, fund the largest percentage of new construction projects in the District, including this district office facility where we are holding this meeting today.

He is passionate, inspirational, innovative and collaborative, Dick is a visionary leader with a keen ability to identify needs and visualize the end result of satisfying that need – most importantly, our student needs.

Dick is the district’s first Hall of Fame Desert Sands School District Award recipient, and in recognition of the work he has contributed to providing quality educational opportunities for the children of Coachella Valley over the many years, Desert Sands was honored to name its newest school, the Richard R. Oliphant Elementary School, after him in 2017.

Dick and Jan Oliphant have defined what it means to be a community member, touching the lives of all residents in their many charitable endeavors. They have put education first, not only for their own family, but for all of the families in Coachella Valley.

We want to thank you, Mr. Oliphant, for your vision and many years of dedicated service to our school district. Your vision and dedication not only improved the educational programs in our community, but helped create the strong link our schools have with the public, and for that, we are forever thank you from the bottom of our hearts.