In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle, the district said it was focused on “investing some of its newly available funding to better support students, prioritizing Black students in many areas.”
The ACLU filed a complaint with Bonta’s office Monday saying the closure plan will disproportionately affect African American families.
In February, Oakland's school board approved the plans, citing pressure to make more than 100-million dollars in budget costs, because of declining enrollment. But the move has been met with continuing protests by parents, teachers and students. Four of the targeted schools serve mostly African American students, who make up about a quarter of the district’s enrollment.
Linnea Nelson, a senior staff attorney for the Racial & Economic Justice Program at the ACLU of Northern California, said in a statement that Oakland Unified has a “long history of discriminating against Black students and families.”
In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle, the district said it was focused on “investing some of its newly available funding to better support students, prioritizing Black students in many areas.”
