OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Oaklanders are not going to stop making their voices heard even after the school board voted to close and merge schools early Wednesday morning.
There is a Bay Area-wide protest and walkout at Oakland Tech High School this morning at 10 a.m.
There is also a party and community feed being held at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon for the staff members who went on a hunger strike.
At least one of those staff members had to be hospitalized after not eating for nine days.
The school district is planning this year to close Community Day School and Parker K-8 School — while eliminating sixth to eighth at La Escuelita school and Hillcrest Elementary.
Rise Community School and New Highland Academy will be merged.
Next school year, the district plans to close five schools because of an expected budget deficit.
City, county, and now state leaders are trying to help in any way they can to prevent this.
Assemblymember Mia Bonta is introducing a new bill that would give the school district another year to decide whether to consolidate schools.
Bonta says her bill gives Oakland Unified School District a little grace, so they don’t have to make potentially irreversible decisions closing schools.
Bonta’s bill would send OUSD $10 million that was in the prior year’s state budget — with no obligation to close or consolidate schools as it is now required.