City, state, labor leaders reject OUSD plan for school consolidation
5 schools spared in Oakland consolidation plan, hunger strike continues
A divided Oakland school board voted early Wednesday to close two schools by the end of the school year. It is not slowing down community efforts to keep that from happening. Meanwhile, five schools have been spared from the consolidation plan, but two educators who are on hunger strike to protest school closures, vow to continue their demonstration.
OAKLAND, Calif. - City, state, and labor leaders gathered Wednesday afternoon at Oakland City Hall to speak out against the decision by the Oakland school board to close, merge or reduce grades for 11 schools, a decision rejected by many in the community.
Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan stood alongside state Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, City Council President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao, and among others, teachers union president Keith Brown to denounce the vote.
"None of these school closures is justified," school board member Mike Hutchinson said Wednesday afternoon at the gathering. Hutchinson voted against the action by the board.
Sam Davis, Aimee Eng, Gary Yee and Shanthi Gonzales voted in favor, Samantha Pal, Clifford Thompson and Natalie Gallegos Chavez abstained and VanCedric Williams also voted no.
Members of the teachers union have said the changes voted on early Wednesday morning will affect schools that serve mainly Black students.
Aiming to close schools in Black and Brown communities has been a pattern for the Oakland Unified School District, according to the teachers union, which called Wednesday morning's decision reckless, and vowed to take action.
"Today, our union will take legal action against Oakland Unified to prevent the rushed and unnecessary closure of schools serving majority Black students," said Keith Brown, president of the Oakland Education Association, which serves as the teachers union.
"And, if it comes to it, I am prepared to ask Oakland educators to strike to protect our schools," he said. "OUSD has the necessary reserves to keep schools running, and that excuse needs to stop now."
SEE ALSO: Starving for a cause: Oakland educators on day 8 of hunger strike to oppose school closures
The union plans to file a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board, which administers the collective bargaining laws covering public school employees and employees of a host of other organizations.
Bonta said she introduced urgency legislation to relieve the Oakland Unified School District of the pressure to close and consolidate schools because of declining enrollment and financial pressures.
Details of that legislation were not immediately available late Wednesday afternoon.