Oakland’s troubled public school budget — currently outspending its revenues by about $4 million a month — will be the topic of public meetings in the coming weeks.
The Oakland Unified School District said Saturday it wants to engage with students, families, and staff in the process of finding budget strategies.
Members of the Board of Education are hosting community engagement meetings in the coming weeks.
District 1 Director Rachel Latta has scheduled town Hall meetings Monday at 6 p.m. Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd St., and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Chabot Elementary School, 6686 Chabot Road.
Board Vice President and District 6 Director Valarie Bachelor and President Jennifer Brouhard are hosting a “budget engagement” at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Carl B. Munck Elementary School, 11900 Campus Drive.
The board’s regular meeting, at which the budget will be discussed, is at 5 p.m. Wednesday at La Escuelita Education Center, 1050 2nd Ave.
In 2003, OUSD descended into fiscal insolvency and needed an emergency $100 million loan from the state, which then sent in state-appointed administrators to run the district instead of school board-appointed superintendents.
In 2009, the district was allowed to appoint superintendents but remained under state fiscal oversight until the final payments on the loan were made this year.
If OUSD fails to get a handle on its projected deficits — $78 million in 2026-27 and $72 million the following fiscal year — it could again wind up in state receivership.
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