Local residents have joined with Assemblymember Rob Bonta to oppose a state bill that would have required the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to permanently close schools and sell or lease public school properties in the midst of the pandemic

Assemblymember Bonta and the other speakers at a Tuesday announced that there was a tentative agreement with state officials that would entirely reverse the original language and place a moratorium on school closures, mergers and colocations for one year or until the end of the pandemic.

The bill would add wording into the CA Education Code requiring that state aid — up to $16 million next year — for OUSD would be “contingent” on “new conditions” as follows: “affirmative board action to continue planning for, and timely implementation of a school and facility closure and consolidation plan that supports the sale or lease of surplus property,” according to a March 2 letter from the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT).

FCMAT has had veto power over the Oakland school district budget since 2003 when the state originally took over the district.

Speaking at this week’s , Bonta said his new wording asks that Oakland work to achieve a “fiscally sound school” district in a variety of different ways but not by permanently closing schools, at least for the next year during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

A resolution opposing the bill was passed by the Representative Council of the teachers’ union, the Oakland Education Association (OEA), and OEA President Keith Brown sent a letter to State Supt. of Instruction Tony Thurmond and Gov. Newsom opposing closing schools at a time when schools need the maximum amount of space in order to reopen with social distancing.

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