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AG Bonta: Oakland Unified School District Must Comply with State Laws to Protect Students and Families
By Post Staff
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter this week to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Board of Education emphasizing the district’s responsibility to adhere to state education and civil rights laws in order to safeguard students and families from “disparate harm,” such as segregation and discrimination, if the district proceeds with school closures, mergers, or consolidations in 2025-2026.
The letter, along with a media release, disclosed the findings of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation into the OUSD Board’s decision on February 8, 2022, to close several elementary schools and eliminate grades 6-8 in certain schools.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “All school districts and their leadership have a legal obligation to protect vulnerable children and their communities from disparate harm when making school closure decisions. Discrimination in any form will not be tolerated. I am committed to working with OUSD’s leadership to achieve successful outcomes for students.”
Bonta’s office will continue to monitor OUSD’s processes and decision-making as it moves forward with community engagement, equity impact analysis, and planning for future closures, mergers, or consolidations to ensure compliance with California’s Constitution, AB 1912, and anti-discrimination laws.
DOJ Findings Highlight Disproportionate Impact on Black and Low-Income Students
The DOJ’s findings revealed that the February 2022 decision, which was later partially rescinded, would have disproportionately affected Black and low-income elementary students, as well as students with disabilities who have high needs.
Recommendations to Ensure Compliance with State Law
The Attorney General raised concerns about the criteria OUSD has announced for future closures, mergers, and consolidations and provided recommendations to prevent violations of state law, including:
- Take affirmative steps to alleviate school segregation and avoid creating disproportionate transportation burdens for protected subgroups.
- Consider past and present inequities in resources due to educational segregation or other causes, in addition to criteria such as school facilities’ conditions, operating costs, and capacity.
- Avoid penalizing schools serving students with disabilities and students with high needs.
- Include environmental factors, student demographics, feeder attendance patterns, transportation needs, and special programs in the decision-making process.
- Consider how each school is serving the needs of its specific student body, particularly historically marginalized communities, rather than relying solely on test scores and quantitative data.
- Engage an independent expert to facilitate community input and assess equity impact.
The letter also emphasized that the DOJ is available to provide feedback and consultation throughout the process to ensure that OUSD’s actions are legally compliant and serve the best interests of the school community and all students.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The article discusses the potential closure, mergers, or consolidations of schools in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and highlights concerns about segregation, discrimination, and disproportionate impact on vulnerable student groups. These issues are directly related to SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Additionally, SDG 10 addresses reducing inequalities, including educational inequalities, while SDG 16 focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
- SDG 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities.
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
- SDG 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.
The article highlights the potential disproportionate impact on Black and low-income elementary students, as well as high-need students with disabilities, if the school closures, mergers, or consolidations proceed. This relates to the targets of SDG 4.1 and SDG 4.5, which aim to ensure equal access to quality education for all students, regardless of their background or abilities. Additionally, the concerns raised about discrimination and segregation connect to the targets of SDG 10.2, which seeks to promote social inclusion and reduce inequalities. The importance of inclusive decision-making processes is also emphasized, aligning with the target of SDG 16.7.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Enrollment and attendance data disaggregated by race, income level, and disability status.
- Evidence of efforts to alleviate school segregation and transportation burdens for protected subgroups.
- Inclusion of equity impact assessments in the decision-making process.
- Consideration of environmental factors, student demographics, transportation needs, and special programs in closure decisions.
- Evaluation of how schools are serving the needs of historically marginalized communities.
- Engagement of an independent expert to facilitate community input and equity impact.
The article mentions several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include collecting enrollment and attendance data disaggregated by race, income level, and disability status to monitor disparities and ensure equal access to education. The inclusion of equity impact assessments in the decision-making process can help evaluate the potential effects on vulnerable student groups. Additionally, considering environmental factors, student demographics, transportation needs, and special programs can contribute to more inclusive closure decisions. Evaluating how schools are serving the needs of historically marginalized communities can provide insights into progress towards reducing educational inequalities. Finally, engaging an independent expert to facilitate community input and equity impact can ensure a participatory and representative decision-making process.
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education. | – Enrollment and attendance data disaggregated by race, income level, and disability status. – Evidence of efforts to alleviate school segregation and transportation burdens for protected subgroups. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status. | – Inclusion of equity impact assessments in the decision-making process. – Consideration of environmental factors, student demographics, transportation needs, and special programs in closure decisions. – Evaluation of how schools are serving the needs of historically marginalized communities. |
| 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities. | – Enrollment and attendance data disaggregated by race, income level, and disability status. – Evidence of efforts to alleviate school segregation and transportation burdens for protected subgroups. |
|
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels. | – Engagement of an independent expert to facilitate community input and equity impact. |
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Source: postnewsgroup.com
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