Bay Area

Deadlocked OUSD Board Fails to Approve Proposed Budget That Would Cut Programs, Lay Off Teachers, Close Schools

Split 3-3, the Oakland School Board deadlocked on a district budget proposal containing program cuts, layoffs, school mergers and closures on Tuesday night. The budget, which was rushed to the school board only 24 hours after it was released, was backed by Oakland Unified School District Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell and Board President Mike Hutchinson.

Published

3 years ago

March 6, 2023

Oakland Post

OUSD Supt. Kyla Trammell-Johnson and OUSD School Board President Mike Hutchinson

By Ken Epstein

Split 3-3, the Oakland School Board deadlocked on a district budget proposal containing program cuts, layoffs, school mergers and closures on Tuesday night.

The budget, which was rushed to the school board only 24 hours after it was released, was backed by Oakland Unified School District Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell and Board President Mike Hutchinson.

Board members voted on two resolutions: the first was to give Johnson-Trammell the authority to make cuts and consolidate schools; the second was to give the required legal March 15 notice to allow staff to be laid off.

On the first resolution, board members voting in favor of the cuts were Hutchinson and Clifford Thompson. Sam Davis abstained. Voting ‘no’ were VanCedric Williams, Jennifer Brouhard, and Valarie Bachelor. On the second resolution, Hutchinson, Davis and Thompson supported the layoffs while Williams, Brouhard, and Bachelor voted against them.

Though the school district has a budget surplus, the proposed budget contains about 100 layoffs of classified workers, program cuts at schools, a hiring freeze and mergers or closures of 10 schools. Supporters claim these cuts are necessary in order to provide teachers and other school employees raises this year.

In a statement, the teachers’ union – the Oakland Education Association (OEA) – opposed the budget proposal:

“It is completely disingenuous to present these cuts as necessary to fund a raise for educators and school employees,” the union said. “OUSD got $54 million in new state funding this year. Neighboring districts have already agreed to large raises without cuts or school closures.”

Union leader Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said on Facebook that the proposed “adjustments are cuts!” and “mergers are closures!”

She continued: “Cutting 100 jobs? There are no OEA members that want a raise on the backs of other workers or on the backs of students. Whoever thinks this is a good idea is disgusting.”

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the board seemed to go into closed session for hours as members attempted to resolve their differences over the budget proposals. (Discussion of the budget in closed session potentially could be a violation of the Brown Act, which requires meeting to be held in public.)

After the meeting, Hutchinson bemoaned the failure of the budget plan to pass.

“I’m extremely frustrated and deeply disappointed,” he said on Facebook. “OUSD was preparing to give a historic raise to OEA. Now because of some questionable advocacy, and directors flip-flopping and changing their votes at the last minute, the school board did not approve any budget adjustments before the March 15 statutory deadline to notice employees.

“This now means that OUSD has no resources to offer OEA a salary increase,” he continued. “I hope the folks responsible for this mess are held accountable.”

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.