Oakland Unified could make decision on merging schools Wednesday
OAKLAND, Cali. - Oakland school leaders may make a final decision Wednesday night to determine if ten schools will merge into five to save money.
The Oakland Unified School District is facing a nearly $100 million deficit.
If the mergers move forward, OUSD leaders hope students and teachers wouldn't live a very different of a routine, since most would not have to move to a different campus for school.
All the proposed mergers are for schools that already share a campus. Here is the list up for consideration:
- Manzanita Community School & Manzanita Seed
- International Community School & Think College Now
- Acorn Woodland & Encompass
- Esperanza Elementary & Korematsu Discovery Academy
- United for Success Academy & Life Academy
That seems to be insufficient to convince parents, who don't want to see any change.
"We just have to be honest with the communnity," said OUSD board president Sam Davis.
"With declining enrollment, we're just spread out too thin across too many school sites, and the time has come to make some tough decisions."
Some parents shared their worries over the idea.
"I know there's a lot of budget problems, but we want to keep pur dual language program going," said Stephanie Tait, a mother with daughters in first and third grade at Manzanita Community School.
"I think it's going to be a hard thing to keep if we merge these two schools."
"I dont know the solution to that whole thing but I dont see the school mergers as the solution they say it is," said Emily Peck. Her daughter is in kindergarten at SEED Elementary.
Along with declining enrollment and thin resources, OUSD says teachers salaries are increasing after contract negotiations. All of that together, could lead to a state takeover if Oakland doesn't get a handle on its budget crisis.
The newest merger proposal is estimated to save the district between $2 million and $3 million, which Davis says is far from enough.
"Unfortunately, and, very sadly, and I know it's a hard thing for people to hear, but we need to close and consolidate more schools so that we have fewer actual campuses that we're trying to manage."
Jake Dodge, a father with daughters in kindergarten and third grade, says he agrees Oakland Unified needs to make bold decisions to be financially sound, but finds it troubling those decisions often seem to only affect schools in East Oakland.
"As a parent who wants to have buy-in in OUSD's process in getting it to a place of financial sustainability, it seems like there would be a more equitable balanced approach in getting there," he said.