OUSD School Closures: Fiscal Reality and Equity Concerns

The Stark Reality

OUSD operates 77 schools for approximately 34,000 students—roughly twice as many schools as similarly-sized districts. An efficiency analysis suggests only 46 schools are needed. This mismatch is a primary driver of the structural deficit.

How OUSD Compares to Similar California Districts (2020–21 data):

District | County | Enrollment | # Schools | High-Need %
Oakland USD | Alameda | 35,489 | 81 | 76%
Fontana USD | San Bernardino | 35,461 | 45 | 87%
Stockton USD | San Joaquin | 33,943 | 56 | 82%
Moreno Valley USD | Riverside | 31,593 | 39 | 84%
Riverside USD | Riverside | 39,443 | 47 | 67%
Santa Ana USD | Orange | 43,917 | 54 | 88%

Source: School Services of California analysis, 2020–21. High-Need % = Unduplicated Pupil Percentage (low-income, English learners, foster youth). Note: Fontana USD has nearly identical enrollment to OUSD but operates 36 fewer schools.

District documents note that OUSD has "an average of two (2) more adults in our system per student than comparison districts"—a direct consequence of spreading staff across too many sites. Fontana Unified, with the same enrollment, is able to invest $120,000 more per school in routine maintenance than OUSD.

The district is deficit-spending approximately $4 million per month. Unrestricted general fund reserves dropped from $118 million (June 2024) to $55.8 million (September 2025)—a 53% decrease in one year. Without structural changes, FCMAT projects cash insolvency within 1–2 years, potentially triggering state receivership.

The Current Impasse

As of January 2026, no school closures or consolidations are approved for implementation. The most recent attempt—a November 2024 plan to merge 10 schools on 5 shared campuses—stalled when no board member made a motion to vote at the December 11, 2024 meeting.

The schools targeted for merger were all in Fruitvale and East Oakland:

Manzanita Community School + Manzanita SEED Elementary

Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy + Esperanza Elementary

Think College Now + International Community School

Life Academy + United For Success Academy

EnCompass Academy + Acorn Woodland Elementary

Timeline Constraints: Why This Takes Years

California's AB 1912 (2022) requires financially distressed districts to conduct extensive community engagement and equity impact analyses before closing schools. A realistic timeline requires:

6–12 months for planning, community engagement, and AB 1912 compliance

Implementation in the following August

Full savings realization 2–3 years after closure (per OUSD's own data from past closures)

The Uncertain Math of Projected Savings

OUSD has never publicly documented actual savings from past closures. The 2022 consolidation plan estimated savings of $4–15 million; the 2024 merger proposal projected approximately $3 million annually. However, projections rarely account for offsetting costs:

Student attrition: After the Kaiser/Sankofa merger, only 23% of Kaiser students enrolled at Sankofa; 17% left OUSD entirely—triple the normal attrition rate

Maintenance of vacant buildings (buildings often sit empty for years)

Legal and compliance costs

Union negotiation requirements

What Research Shows: Sobering Results

OUSD's Own History

Since the 2003 state takeover, OUSD has closed 23 schools—17 of which were historically Black-majority schools. Results have been mixed:

2012 Closures: 83.7% of affected students remained in district; attendance showed no significant change

2019 Kaiser/Sankofa Merger: School budget decreased 24%, but 17% of students left OUSD entirely

Chicago 2013: The Largest Mass Closure in U.S. History

Chicago closed 50 schools affecting 13,646 students. Ten years later, University of Chicago Consortium research found:

Academic outcomes were "neutral at best, and negative in some instances"

Students showed lower math scores for at least 4 years after transfer

Only 21% of displaced students ended up in top-tier schools

Students who transferred to substantially higher-performing schools saw improvement; others did not

Black neighborhoods with closures lost population at 3x the rate of other Black neighborhoods

Financial savings fell far short of projections; CPS approved a moratorium on closures until 2027

Philadelphia and Detroit

Philadelphia (30 schools closed, 2012–2013): No effect on average achievement; absences and suspensions increased significantly for displaced students; achievement of receiving-school students declined.

Detroit (nearly 200 schools closed since 2010): Lost 15,000 additional students (23%) in 2012 alone after closing 32 schools. Today, 50% of Detroit resident students attend non-DPS schools.

The Equity Dimension

School closures consistently fall disproportionately on Black and low-income communities. In OUSD, 17 of 23 closed schools since 2003 were historically Black-majority. Attorney General Rob Bonta's investigation found prior OUSD closure plans would disproportionately impact Black and low-income students—prompting AB 1912's equity impact requirements.

Beyond academics, schools serve as community anchors—polling stations, meeting spaces, cultural centers. Research has documented correlation between school closures and increased neighborhood decline. The 2022 closure proposal sparked massive opposition: 1,800+ attended Zoom meetings, and two educators conducted an 8-day hunger strike.

Transportation burden matters too: displaced students often face longer commutes. Research shows every 10 minutes of additional travel time is associated with measurable attendance decline—particularly problematic given OUSD's existing chronic absenteeism challenges.

When Closures Work (and When They Don't)

The consistent finding across research: students benefit academically only when transferred to substantially higher-performing schools—typically those in the top quartile of district performance. Students transferred to only marginally better schools see no improvement.

This creates a critical question for OUSD: Can the district guarantee that displaced students will be placed in genuinely higher-performing schools? Without such guarantees, closures may save money while harming students.

Key Questions for Engagement

What specific schools are being considered, and what are the enrollment and performance metrics?

How will the district ensure displaced students are placed in higher-performing schools?

What is the actual net savings projection after accounting for attrition and implementation costs?

How is the district complying with AB 1912's equity impact requirements?

What support will be provided to receiving schools to maintain quality?

What happens to vacant buildings—will they be sold, leased, or maintained?

The Narrow Path Forward

The district faces a genuine dilemma with no easy resolution. The fiscal math is clear: 77 schools for 30,000 students is unsustainable. Yet the equity implications are equally clear: research consistently shows closures produce neutral-to-negative outcomes for most displaced students.

A responsible path forward would require:

Honest reckoning with the fiscal reality that consolidation is likely unavoidable

Rigorous compliance with AB 1912's equity requirements

Meaningful community engagement beyond pro forma hearings

Placement guarantees ensuring displaced students access genuinely higher-performing schools

Adequate transition support for receiving schools, displaced students, and affected staff

Realistic savings projections that account for attrition and timeline constraints

Without successful implementation of structural changes, the district faces potential state receivership—which would strip local decision-making entirely. As Interim Superintendent Saddler acknowledged: "If the Board makes a commitment to truly restructure OUSD, it must see it through this time." The question is not whether consolidation will happen, but whether it will happen on the community's terms or the state's.