OUSD’s board and leadership are struggling with a nine-figure budget crisis. Here, we zoom out on how OUSD spends money relative to other comparable districts.
I served on the OUSD board representing District 2 and have been involved in a range of Oakland school support nonprofit boards ever since. This article must be one of the most comprehensive, clear, and non-partisan summaries of the District’s budget and performance I have ever seen. Congratulations!
Given current board leadership, I would anticipate that the District will be back under state control by the end of the calendar year, with a trustee appointed by the County Superintendent.
Regarding the prior comment, District staff have done excellent analysis looking at projections of student-age population and school locations to develop scenarios for consolidations (merging schools sharing the same site) and closures. The District seems unable to articulate a vision for its schools that would (1) help parents of closed schools see the benefits, and (2) attract back the parents of private and charter school students.
By the way, the share of Oakland students in private schools has remained remarkably constant over the past decades, ranging from 11 to 15%. It’s the share in charter schools that has increased significantly, from 0% around 2000 to about 30% now. I do support charters as a reasonable alternative to traditional schools, but would prefer if the District included them in its facility planning rather ignoring their impact.
Robert, thanks for the thoughts and kind words. I'd love to discuss the public/charter/private landscape in Oakland. If interested, can DM me through Substack.
Thank you for this very accessible and non-partisan writing on a subject which is basically incomprehensible to regular folk like me. I really applaud your work, which supports greater civic engagement. Transparency is great, but having someone explain this stuff is the killer app.
Great article. So of the two drivers of higher than [state] average expenses, high-need students and low attendance per school site, only one can be influenced by public opinion. I wonder how many students the private schools draw away from the system? When considering school closures, my impression is that the District does not look at the potential "market" for its schools, that is, where young couples are locating and having children. Does the District do any marketing at all, or does it just assume people will come because they can't afford an alternative? I'm in the Grand Lake area, and I remember when they closed Lakeview Elementary, yet the neighborhood was crawling with young couples with babies.
Thanks Tom. Robert has a good reply here re: analysis the District has done historically. They have invested somewhat in marketing in recent years (see the "Choose OUSD" billboards around town), and I believe this has been a contributor to this year's modest uptick in enrollment. That being said, I haven't seen and need to learn more about how OUSD positions itself in the "competitive landscape" of charter schools and private schools, which I plan to tackle in subsequent research and writing.
You all are a treasure. THANK YOU.
I served on the OUSD board representing District 2 and have been involved in a range of Oakland school support nonprofit boards ever since. This article must be one of the most comprehensive, clear, and non-partisan summaries of the District’s budget and performance I have ever seen. Congratulations!
Given current board leadership, I would anticipate that the District will be back under state control by the end of the calendar year, with a trustee appointed by the County Superintendent.
Regarding the prior comment, District staff have done excellent analysis looking at projections of student-age population and school locations to develop scenarios for consolidations (merging schools sharing the same site) and closures. The District seems unable to articulate a vision for its schools that would (1) help parents of closed schools see the benefits, and (2) attract back the parents of private and charter school students.
By the way, the share of Oakland students in private schools has remained remarkably constant over the past decades, ranging from 11 to 15%. It’s the share in charter schools that has increased significantly, from 0% around 2000 to about 30% now. I do support charters as a reasonable alternative to traditional schools, but would prefer if the District included them in its facility planning rather ignoring their impact.
Robert, thanks for the thoughts and kind words. I'd love to discuss the public/charter/private landscape in Oakland. If interested, can DM me through Substack.
Thank you for this very accessible and non-partisan writing on a subject which is basically incomprehensible to regular folk like me. I really applaud your work, which supports greater civic engagement. Transparency is great, but having someone explain this stuff is the killer app.
Thanks Duncan -- much appreciated.
Great article. So of the two drivers of higher than [state] average expenses, high-need students and low attendance per school site, only one can be influenced by public opinion. I wonder how many students the private schools draw away from the system? When considering school closures, my impression is that the District does not look at the potential "market" for its schools, that is, where young couples are locating and having children. Does the District do any marketing at all, or does it just assume people will come because they can't afford an alternative? I'm in the Grand Lake area, and I remember when they closed Lakeview Elementary, yet the neighborhood was crawling with young couples with babies.
Thanks Tom. Robert has a good reply here re: analysis the District has done historically. They have invested somewhat in marketing in recent years (see the "Choose OUSD" billboards around town), and I believe this has been a contributor to this year's modest uptick in enrollment. That being said, I haven't seen and need to learn more about how OUSD positions itself in the "competitive landscape" of charter schools and private schools, which I plan to tackle in subsequent research and writing.