Teachers’ union calls for spending plan that prioritizes classrooms and student services

By Post Staff

Seeking to avoid the threat of a state or county takeover of the Oakland Unified School District, the Board of Education has adopted recommendations designed to provide guidelines to the superintendent and administration to resolve an ongoing budget deficit for this year and the next two years.

A resolution on budget guidance was approved at the Oct. 8 board meeting by board members Rachel Latta, Jennifer Brouhard, VanCedric Williams, and Valarie Bachelor. Voting ‘no’ were board members Mike Hutchinson, Patrice Berry, and Clifford Thompson.

After 22 years, OUSD was finally released from state receivership in July. Facing a new deficit, the district is now urgently dealing with the threat of a new state or county takeover.

The board resolution passed at the Oct. 8 board meeting directs Supt. Denise Saddler and her administration to implement a hiring freeze and review openings for new positions. Other possible savings include freezing or canceling consulting contracts, reducing travel expenses, and consolidating other purchases.

Whatever the district decides, none of the possibilities will include school closures or mergers, according to the board resolution.

District staff is expected to come back in November with budget proposals for the 2026-27 school year, including restructuring the central office, reducing administrative positions, and cutting spending on consulting contracts, as well as ways to increase enrollment.

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Speaking at the board meeting, Saddler said, “What I need from all of you is to hear what the parameters are of what you would like staff to look at so we can do our best work to bring you options.”

“I want to respect that every single one of you has been doing some thinking about this and writing about it and have amendments and proposals,” she continued. “I urge you to give us the outside of the puzzle so we can go forth and do our best work.”

In an interview with the Oakland Post, Williams explained that a new board was elected last November and started in January.  The board approved cuts in March of over $100 million to exit state receivership.  And additional cuts of $60-$80 million are requested for 2026-2027, “which means up to $180 million within a year cycle, about 20% of the annual budget, raising the risk of returning to state receivership,” he said.

According to Williams the district carried high deficits with layoffs in 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23, and prior boards “kicked the can down the road” rather than dealing with the deficits.

Past board presidents Sam Davis, Mike Hutchinson, Gary Yee, and Shanthi Gonzales “did not address the problems, leaving the current board to solve them,” he said.

Further, Willliams said, Alameda County Supt. of Schools Alysse Castro and the state agency, Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT) “gave qualified budget approvals for four years. They could have (halted) raises or spending but did not, expecting eventual cuts without mandating immediate reductions.”

As a result, he said the “board needs to make major budget decisions this year within the next few weeks due to a looming fiscal cliff and threat of state receivership.”

“Reductions cannot come solely from central office or consultants,” Williams said. “Everything is on the table, including afterschool (programs), special education, and school restructuring.”

In a statement to the community, OUSD Chief Budget Officer Lisa Grant-Dawson wrote, “The district must develop a plan to restore its reserves as we navigate through the 2025-26 budget and prepare for the 2026-27 Budget Development process. The district will present its first Interim Report in December, reflecting its revised projections for the budget and reserves, which will then be reviewed by the County.

“As we have been saying since early in the 2024-25 school year, the District is currently deficit-spending about $4 million per month, that is, spending $4 million more every month than it’s receiving in revenues. The more we do that moving forward, the more we diminish our reserves, until, eventually, we run out of money.”

“As a school district where the mission is educating children, we cannot run out of money, and the State and County won’t let that happen,” she said. “But we need to prevent it from getting to that point in the first place. The district will need to make some very difficult choices in the near future to remain financially solvent.”

According to the Oakland Education Association (OEA), the teachers’ union, which is currently negotiating with the district for a new contract, the district traditionally distorts its budget, minimizing its revenue and maximizing its expenses to avoid increasing employee wages.

In a presentation to teachers and families, OEA President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said, “The City of Oakland has a long history of standing up for the most marginalized in our community. And we need OUSD to stand up and be a part of protecting Oakland students by really investing in our school sites.”

Continuing, she said, “Our main job in this district is to teach children, and we need OUSD to change its priorities from (spending its money) outsourcing, contracting out, and investing in top-level management to really providing a student-centered budget.”

“The district has spent too much on the wrong things, too much on outside contracting and on central office administration while also simultaneously having this history of under-projecting revenue,” she said.

“We have a vision for a student-centered budget that invests in our school,” Rancifer said. “We need to restructure the budget to prioritize students and staff, making a student-centered budget that invests in classrooms and student services.”

According to OEA, “OUSD receives nearly $1 billion yearly to fund our schools — yet only 56% of that goes to student-facing staff. Our students feel the daily impact through high teacher- and support staff- turnover. Districts like San Diego Unified prove it’s possible to do better, investing 80% of funds directly into the people who serve students.”

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SACRAMENTO — In a bold move reflecting the urgency of the times, the California Teachers Association (CTA) has thrown its weight behind Proposition 50, an initiative spearheaded by Governor Gavin Newsom aimed at redistricting. CTA is reaching out to California’s Black voters by activating a campaign utilizing some of the state’s legacy Black newspapers.

Prop. 50 presents an opportunity for California voters to pause and reconsider the current legislative maps that dictate representation — a reaction to a national landscape where education and voting rights are increasingly under threat. Erika Jones, the Secretary/Treasurer of the CTA pointed out that the initiative serves as a direct counter to troubling developments in states like Texas, where the political climate has grown hostile towards both educational funding and voter inclusion.

“The dysfunction we’re witnessing in Washington, D.C. has profound implications for our schools,” Jones explained. She emphasized that the dismantling of the federal Department of Education and the curtailing of union rights for workers are issues that inevitably trickle down to affect the students in California classrooms. “This is not a fight we chose, but it’s one we must engage in for the future of our children.”

Critics from within the Democratic spectrum have voiced skepticism about the ethics of using Prop. 50 as a tool against what they perceive as unethical actions from other states. However, Jones argues convincingly that the current political climate itself — marked by a wave of voter suppression tactics and the sidelining of marginalized communities — constitutes an ethical crisis that demands a robust and proactive response.

“We have to take a stand,” Jones insists. She draws parallels between the present situation and historical struggles for voting rights, reflecting on her own family’s involvement in civil rights movements. “If we don’t act now, we risk losing decades of progress.” She voiced concerns that without intervention, there could be dire consequences for marginalized students, including cuts to funding that directly supports vulnerable populations.

With more than $15 billion in federal assistance hanging in the balance, the stakes could not be higher. Jones highlighted the importance of rallying both educators and community members to mobilize against what she describes as an “unethical assault” on democracy. “We cannot simply remain isolated in California; the fight for justice and equity reverberates across the entire nation.”

As supporters of Prop. 50 intensify their outreach, Jones invites California residents to join the movement. “We’re encouraging everyone to get involved — whether by volunteering to canvas or by spreading awareness through social media.” Those interested can visit cta.org/prop50 for more information on how to engage in meaningful activism.

With only a few weeks left to vote, the CTA’s call for action resonates across communities, urging Californians to recognize not just their rights as voters, but their responsibility to advocate for the future of education in a rapidly changing political landscape. As Jones aptly puts it, “This is our fight, and we must be heard.”

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California lawmakers have passed a bill requiring K-12 schools, state universities, and community colleges to notify students, faculty, and families when immigration enforcement authorities are present on campuses. The legislation, known as the SAFE Act, comes amid the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation efforts and increasing immigration enforcement activity near schools.

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Alhambra), who authored the bill, said it is modeled on early warning systems already used for other campus emergencies.

“With students returning to school, this legislation is more important than ever,” said Pérez. “In the face of mass deportations, raids and immigration enforcement authorities showing up at schools, the SAFE Act can help inform and empower school communities to make the best decisions about their safety and their family’s safety.”

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who oversees the state’s public school system, strongly supported the bill.

“Our immigrant families are living in fear and our time to act is limited. The school year has begun, and now is the time to make decisive efforts to protect our communities and maintain schools as a safe place for learning,” said Thurmond.

Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hill Estates) emphasized the need for safe learning environments.

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“Students cannot learn unless they feel safe,” said Muratsuchi. “For decades we had a bipartisan agreement to keep educational institutions, schools, campuses, free from immigration enforcement activities.”

The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until Oct. 12 to sign it into law. If approved, it will take effect immediately and remain in place until 2031.

The SAFE Act is part of a broader set of California proposals aimed at protecting immigrant communities, including measures to prevent enforcement officers from entering nonpublic areas of schools or hospitals without a warrant. The legislation follows high-profile incidents, such as the detention of a 15-year-old outside a Los Angeles high school in August, which drew widespread public outrage.

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