OAKLAND (BCN). Opponents to a plan to close several schools in Oakland Unified School District and merge them want school board members to take into account environmental impacts before they vote on the plans. This could happen Tuesday night.
Oakland Residents Against School Closure Plan sent a message to board members stating that the school board plan violates California Environmental Quality Act.
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School board members will vote Tuesday evening on the school consolidation proposal, which is being considered in multiple phases.
We are asking for the halt to any vote to close any Oakland Unified Public Schools because of CEQA violations and the lack of community participation in the decision-making process of this closure plan.
Opponents claimed they are residents of Oakland who are affected by the school board plan.
Transportation issues and traffic congestion are just a few examples of environmental impacts.
We are grateful that you, as trustees of our public school, share our serious concerns about the environment, wrote opponents in their letter. We are confident that you will agree that closing our public schools is not possible at this time.
We also look forward for more community engagement before any such drastic steps like the plan to close down our public schools are even considered.
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Kathleen Carroll, an attorney who has been involved in education issues, was interested in the school board plan. Steve Zeltzer, who is working with parents and teachers opposing the plan, also noticed it. The group of opponents was alerted to the CEQA requirement by Carroll.
It is quite clear from our understanding of law, Zeltzer stated of the necessity to follow CEQA in this instance.
He said that schools were reopened following closures because CEQA wasn’t followed in court cases.
Zeltzer stated that this is a serious problem. We are merely advising people to follow the law.
Carroll stated that the CEQA challenge was used in the past, in particular in Barstow Unified Schools District. Carroll stated that two schools were shut down and that a judge ruled that the school districts must adhere to CEQA.
The OUSD school board meeting will begin at 5 p.m., and can be viewed at https://ousd.zoom.us/j/88586792391.
The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the challenge to the school board’s closure plan.
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