Meeting Time: February 08, 2022 at 5:00pm PST
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Agenda Item

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

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    Margie Lewis over 2 years ago

    Good evening, my name is Margie Lewis and I am a resident of District 6. 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. Stop these unnecessary school closures and mergers!

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    Rashiid Moore over 2 years ago

    I feel like dewey should stay open because they really give you oppurtunities and actually work individually with us during the class and they also really want to see you succeed

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    Yasin Khan over 2 years ago

    I strongly oppose the closure of OUSD Schools. School closures create massive disruptions in students lives and will hurt students that are are marginalized by the system.

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    Parent Concerned over 2 years ago

    Hi, as community member and a parent of an OUSD student affected by this proposal, I write in opposition of the porposed school closures in the Oakland Unified School District. I implore the school board and Superintendent to vote against these school closures. The community needs to be presented with other ways to solve budget deficit issues. Closing these schools would have a detrimental effect on the families that live and work in these neighborhoods. It is absolutely unfair for the students impacted by these closures. The integrity of the district as a whole will be be adversely effected as well. I ask that the district find more fiscally responsible ideas to address any budget issues they are faced with. The community should be included and given ample time in discussing any budget issues and school closures. Thank you.

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    ThunderRose Heath over 2 years ago

    I strongly disagree with this because I have a sister and brother at La Esculita. One is in T-K the other in fifth grade. If you close the school it will make it hard for big families to drop kids off at like 3 different schools. Then trying to make it to work. I would like the board to vote No on the School Closures.

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    Meredith Wallis over 2 years ago

    I am a parent to a child at Sequoia Elementary, support the Reparations for Black Students campaign, and am vehemently opposed to these racist, accelerated school closures. They would create negligible (if any!) savings and will negatively impact the students and families who need public, neighborhood schools the most while avoiding personal impact to rich, white families who could easily absorb the loss. There's no child-centered equitable reason to close Fruitvale over Sequoia--which leaves only the real reasons: white supremancy and classism. Shame on y'all.

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    Hannah Ayasse over 2 years ago

    I strongly oppose the racist and hasty closure of OUSD Schools! School closures create massive disruptions in students lives and will continue to broaden the class gap in Oakland.

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    David Foecke over 2 years ago

    I am a parent in district 6 of an OUSD student, whose school is not on the list of proposed school closure. However, I oppose any action to close OUSD schools until a thorough equity impact analysis has been completed. ParentSquare emails I receive from the school district tout its efforts at addressing equity issues. This proposed action would expose those statements as empty promises. We can do better. I would also like to see an analysis of the impact of charter schools on the OUSD budget, and the overall equity efforts in public school education.

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    Lisa Knox over 2 years ago

    Hello, I am a resident of District 2 and I strongly support the Reparations for Black Students resolution and oppose OUSD’s budget, which will have a disproportionate impact on Black and brown students. I moved to Oakland because I value its racial and economic diversity. This budget will continue the push to drive out the families who make this city.

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    Diane Ward over 2 years ago

    I live in Oakland Council District 5. I support the Reparations for Black Students resolution. I am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community in tonight’s decision and conduct the necessary equity impact analysis. OUSD’s own history of school closures is a clear indicator that closing schools will not produce the desired district savings. There are a growing number of multi-generational households like mine that will benefit from locally-sited public schools which will function as resilience hubs during the times of crises (whether health, energy, natural disasters, etc.) that will surely come. They are community building, city-strengthening opportunities that cannot be replicated easily within a privatized educational system. Your new model could be one in which destruction is not the go-to solution. Try love, conservation, and respect.

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    Javier LucasRamos over 2 years ago

    Hey, I'm a student from MetWest High and i would like to support every school that are close to closing and I would wanna say NO on school closures. Every kids need the same right as other schools that are staying open because it isnt fair that other community schools are getting closed down.

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    Angelica Lopez over 2 years ago

    I strongly oppose the action of schools being closed down or merged together. Closing schools down and merging them is completely disrupting the learnings of a student. The money that is being saved from closing the schools and merging them is such a small amount compared to what the district gets each year. If the money for the district is for the students then you shouldn't be closing and merging schools because that is not for the students, that is for more money. As a student that went to La Escuelita for elementary and middle school, I strongly oppose this decision because instead of helping a student's education, you are deteriorating it. Closing local schools strongly impacts so many families. Everyday students walk and bike to school because their school is accessible to them and taking that away would just cost families more money and struggle. STOP closing down schools and merging schools. You are making more damage than good. I strongly suggest that the board should vote NO.

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    Shynell Cooper over 2 years ago

    I oppose school closures. Our students need and deserves an education. Closing schools will have a negative effect on the black and brown communities.

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    Daniel Erwin over 2 years ago

    I started out neutral last week, but it's clear that someone is trying to railroad the public and the rest of the board into an ill-considered decision. I love the vision of fewer, better-funded schools, but there are too many questions left unanswered, including about what analysis has already been done. Also, why would the school board commit itself to closures more than 1 year away, when the impacts of the initial round of closures are yet to be seen? Please delay this in order to show us your work.

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    Alizabeth McGowan over 2 years ago

    School closures cause irreparable damage to communities and families. A vote to close schools is a vote to murder the spirits of the youth, families, and community members that have invested their hearts into the schools. We KNOW that closures don't save money. We KNOW school closures harm students. The OUSD Board must vote no. The OUSD Board must engage the community because we have the solutions that work for us.

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    Sun T over 2 years ago

    NO TO POLICE. YES TO EDUCATION. OUR MONEY OUR DECISION.

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    Tadeo Martinez over 2 years ago

    don't close the schools please

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    Penelope Leggett over 2 years ago

    I oppose the consolidation and closures of Oakland Public Schools.

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    Monserrat Aguilera over 2 years ago

    I think that that the school closures are not good because then some kids are not going to be learning just because the goverment wants the money. I want the board to vote no because we all need to go to school to learn new things so that we can get a good job. People should think about others and not just themselves.

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    Khang Le over 2 years ago

    I don't like the school closing just because my brother goes to one of the school closing and now he has to move and it makes it more complicated for us. I would like the school board to not do that when i say that I mean don't close the schools because it will put more suffering to the families. I would also like the school board to start giving us the thing we want instead of us going on strike because that is a waste of time.