AG Bonta: Closure of Oakland elementary schools would have most affected Black, low-income kids
California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a letter to the Oakland Unified School District stated that the — now-rescinded — decision to close several schools would have disproportionately affected Black and low-income students.
On Feb. 8, 2022, the school board decided to close several schools and truncate grades 6-8 of Hillcrest Elementary and La Escuelita Elementary.
The following schools would have been shuttered.
- Parker Elementary
- Brookfield Elementary
- Carl B. Munck Elementary
- Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy
- Grass Valley Elementary
- Horace Mann Elementary
- Community Day School
A slew of protests and even a hunger-strike surrounded the decision, and it was eventually rescinded on Jan. 11, 2023. According to Bonta's letter, if the closures proceeded, it would have "disproportionately impacted Black and low-income elementary students, as well as high-need students with disabilities."
Now, Bonta states, that even though OUSD is meeting the minimum requirements to make sure any closures do not maintain school segregation but alleviate it, it could again make a decision that "mirrors" the impacts of its original decision.
The concern lies with the metrics OUSD is using and how it could be analyzing them.
"The OUSD staff recommended additional metrics—(1) Live/Go data, (2) enrollment size of a school, (3) school enrollment compared to sustainable school size, and (4) demand rate—may improperly penalize schools serving students with disabilities and students who have high needs," the letter states.
The attorney general's office said it will continue to monitor the district's process as it moves to decide what to do for the 2025-2026 school year.
"We strongly recommend that OUSD engage an independent expert to assist in the school redesign process and the planning and implementation of any closure, merger, or consolidation that may occur to ensure full compliance with the law and robust community and school-site participation and input." the letter from Bonta's office read in part.
