22-0243 Adoption by the Board of Education of Resolution No. 2122-0030 - School Consolidations for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24.
· Presentation by the Superintendent of Schools of recommendations for School Consolidations for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24
· Public Comments on proposed School Consolidations
· Discussion of the Board by and between Members and/or the Superintendent of Schools and/or designee(s)
· Action by Board on Resolution No. 2122-0030
I am an Oakland resident in D4 and I’m a parent of two OUSD students. I strongly oppose the closures and consolidations that have been proposed and I feel it completely contradicts the resolution for reparations for black students that was recently passed unanimously by the same exact board. The proposed closures and consolidations negatively impact black and brown students in our district and the plan for those students seems vague and not fully thought out. There are other ways to address budget issues — namely looking at ways we can stop giving real estate and public school funding to charter schools.
As an OUSD educator and resident I oppose the school closures. During these turbulent times, this is the last thing our students need to maintain stable lives, relationships, and learning.
I am a mental health counselor at a public school, and I strongly oppose additional school closures just to have their land be bought up by charter schools. This board voted to extend the lease at 1000 Broadway for another year costing the district an additional 2.5 million dollars. Your proposed budget savings are at around 4million for this round of closures. Where was this thought process in 2014? There is no reason for OUSD to be renting property when there are literally several vacant properties that can be used as office space. 1000 broadway has been severely underutilized especially during the pandemic and has cost the district over 20 million dollars since negotiating the lease back in 2014. Find alternative ways to balance your budget! Your mistakes have cost the students and parents of OUSD more than just money.
I strongly oppose school closures. Putting through students through so much more uncertaintly and upheaval during an already traumatic 2 years is shameful. That this trauma is falling on Black and brown students is a clear example of systemic racism. As a classroom teacher, I can't imagine putting students through additional trauma this year.
Hello, my name is Kathy Kojimoto and I am a resident of District 2, I am one of the many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students resolution and I am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the back of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community in tonight’s decision and conduct the necessary equity impact analysis. There are other ways to handle a budget crisis and OUSD’s own history of school closures is a clear indicator that closing schools will not produce the desired district savings. Hands off our schools!”
Vote no on this hasty proposal which targets schools with high Black student enrollment! Cost-saving measures may be necessary, but they must be done equitably instead of falling on Black students and families that OUSD acknowledged “have experienced significant barriers and anti‐Black racist structures in OUSD schools, and have suffered from a lack of investment in their success” in the Reparations for Black Students resolution. In addition to acknowledging anti-Blackness in OUSD, the resolution committed to taking steps to address inequity, including an impact analysis before voting on school closures, and more involvement from community. Please vote no and follow through with these commitments. And when the time comes to make decisions, make sure any measures don’t fall hardest on those who have always been hit hardest.
Thank you to the OUSD Board for taking a serious look at Oakland's schools and looking for ways to improve education for ALL students as well as address OUSD's very serious financial problems. Of course, no one wants to close any schools - the staff and teachers are dedicated to their school site, the students and parents love their school, and the community embraces their local school. But OUSD must look at the bigger picture for what is best for all Oakland students. We simply have too many schools for the number of students we support. Similar districts with a similar number of students have a little more than half (42) of our 80 schools. We must take this painful step now to consolidate/close schools for the long range plan of helping our students thrive. We'll be able to provide more services at fewer sites with the same number of staff and spend money on students instead of buildings. I support you in this difficult step, OUSD.
I oppose school closures in Oakland. These closures would disproportionately and unjustly harm Black and Brown communities. Our youth have had major disruptions already due to the pandemic and closing these school would cause harm.
Cut the budget from the top not the bottom.
I strongly oppose closing down and merging of selected Oakland schools. This measure will disproportionally affect communities of color. It is really important to hear the voices of people who will be affected and consider the impact on the communities. Please vote no.
I've worked in this District for over 30 years, and the School Board has reached a new low in what they are proposing!! To further traumatize and destabilize low income black and brown families by closing neighborhood schools in the middle of a pandemic that has disproportionately caused them to suffer so much already, is CRIMINAL!
Why don't you focus on getting more state revenue, having that 2003 loan forgiven, closing some of these charters that have created declining enrollment and leave our community schools ALONE!!!
Why aren't you proposing to close the schools on the hill/ in the hills, and have the parents of those children drive them to other schools in Oakland? There are solutions other than closing schools. Use your imagination! Or hire someone with the creativity to come up with alternatives.
I have worked with OUSD high school youth since 2015 doing college access work, and I strongly oppose the proposed school closures/consolidations. OUSD students and families, especially in these times, do not need any more major disruptions to learning and the communities they have built at school. The OUSD board needs to keep its commitment to the Reparations for Black Students Resolution, and a rushed decision on closing/consolidating schools that serve majority Black and brown students is in direct opposition to that. There needs to be an equity analysis of this proposal before a decision is made. It is outrageous that there was no ask or call for public input before this decision was pushed forward, and we will not stand for this.
I oppose these closures. How are there 20+ slides on financial savings from FIRING EDUCATORS with 0 slides or consideration for the impact on students and affected communities? If budgets need to be cut, cut from the top OUSD administrators who don't teach, but still take in huge salaries that would be better spent on actually educatings students.
Why in the world would you shut down these schools specifically in low income areas that are dominated by black and brown folks? This is institutional racism in action. Instead of taking away schools, you need to funnel more money into public education
I am an Oakland resident in D4 and I’m a parent of two OUSD students. I strongly oppose the closures and consolidations that have been proposed and I feel it completely contradicts the resolution for reparations for black students that was recently passed unanimously by the same exact board. The proposed closures and consolidations negatively impact black and brown students in our district and the plan for those students seems vague and not fully thought out. There are other ways to address budget issues — namely looking at ways we can stop giving real estate and public school funding to charter schools.
As an OUSD educator and resident I oppose the school closures. During these turbulent times, this is the last thing our students need to maintain stable lives, relationships, and learning.
I am a mental health counselor at a public school, and I strongly oppose additional school closures just to have their land be bought up by charter schools. This board voted to extend the lease at 1000 Broadway for another year costing the district an additional 2.5 million dollars. Your proposed budget savings are at around 4million for this round of closures. Where was this thought process in 2014? There is no reason for OUSD to be renting property when there are literally several vacant properties that can be used as office space. 1000 broadway has been severely underutilized especially during the pandemic and has cost the district over 20 million dollars since negotiating the lease back in 2014. Find alternative ways to balance your budget! Your mistakes have cost the students and parents of OUSD more than just money.
I strongly oppose school closures. Putting through students through so much more uncertaintly and upheaval during an already traumatic 2 years is shameful. That this trauma is falling on Black and brown students is a clear example of systemic racism. As a classroom teacher, I can't imagine putting students through additional trauma this year.
Please put CHILDREN FIRST before mismanaged budget errors made by adults.
Hello, my name is Kathy Kojimoto and I am a resident of District 2, I am one of the many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students resolution and I am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the back of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community in tonight’s decision and conduct the necessary equity impact analysis. There are other ways to handle a budget crisis and OUSD’s own history of school closures is a clear indicator that closing schools will not produce the desired district savings. Hands off our schools!”
Vote no on this hasty proposal which targets schools with high Black student enrollment! Cost-saving measures may be necessary, but they must be done equitably instead of falling on Black students and families that OUSD acknowledged “have experienced significant barriers and anti‐Black racist structures in OUSD schools, and have suffered from a lack of investment in their success” in the Reparations for Black Students resolution. In addition to acknowledging anti-Blackness in OUSD, the resolution committed to taking steps to address inequity, including an impact analysis before voting on school closures, and more involvement from community. Please vote no and follow through with these commitments. And when the time comes to make decisions, make sure any measures don’t fall hardest on those who have always been hit hardest.
Thank you to the OUSD Board for taking a serious look at Oakland's schools and looking for ways to improve education for ALL students as well as address OUSD's very serious financial problems. Of course, no one wants to close any schools - the staff and teachers are dedicated to their school site, the students and parents love their school, and the community embraces their local school. But OUSD must look at the bigger picture for what is best for all Oakland students. We simply have too many schools for the number of students we support. Similar districts with a similar number of students have a little more than half (42) of our 80 schools. We must take this painful step now to consolidate/close schools for the long range plan of helping our students thrive. We'll be able to provide more services at fewer sites with the same number of staff and spend money on students instead of buildings. I support you in this difficult step, OUSD.
I oppose school closures in Oakland. These closures would disproportionately and unjustly harm Black and Brown communities. Our youth have had major disruptions already due to the pandemic and closing these school would cause harm.
Cut the budget from the top not the bottom.
I strongly oppose closing down and merging of selected Oakland schools. This measure will disproportionally affect communities of color. It is really important to hear the voices of people who will be affected and consider the impact on the communities. Please vote no.
I've worked in this District for over 30 years, and the School Board has reached a new low in what they are proposing!! To further traumatize and destabilize low income black and brown families by closing neighborhood schools in the middle of a pandemic that has disproportionately caused them to suffer so much already, is CRIMINAL!
Why don't you focus on getting more state revenue, having that 2003 loan forgiven, closing some of these charters that have created declining enrollment and leave our community schools ALONE!!!
Why aren't you proposing to close the schools on the hill/ in the hills, and have the parents of those children drive them to other schools in Oakland? There are solutions other than closing schools. Use your imagination! Or hire someone with the creativity to come up with alternatives.
I do not agree with the closure of Prescott and other schools in Oakland. More than ever they need your support and this is the opposite of that.
Keep schools open!
I have worked with OUSD high school youth since 2015 doing college access work, and I strongly oppose the proposed school closures/consolidations. OUSD students and families, especially in these times, do not need any more major disruptions to learning and the communities they have built at school. The OUSD board needs to keep its commitment to the Reparations for Black Students Resolution, and a rushed decision on closing/consolidating schools that serve majority Black and brown students is in direct opposition to that. There needs to be an equity analysis of this proposal before a decision is made. It is outrageous that there was no ask or call for public input before this decision was pushed forward, and we will not stand for this.
I oppose these school closures. These school closures are not equitable.
I oppose these closures. How are there 20+ slides on financial savings from FIRING EDUCATORS with 0 slides or consideration for the impact on students and affected communities? If budgets need to be cut, cut from the top OUSD administrators who don't teach, but still take in huge salaries that would be better spent on actually educatings students.
No al cierre de las escuelas
No al cierre de la escuela
Why in the world would you shut down these schools specifically in low income areas that are dominated by black and brown folks? This is institutional racism in action. Instead of taking away schools, you need to funnel more money into public education