Oakland Council members Dan Kalb and Treva Reid proposed the measure, which gives non-citizen parents, legal guardians and legally recognized caregivers of enrolled in Oakland Unified School District students the ability to vote in the district's school board elections. Kalb says the measure will help make sure these parents are heard and their children’s needs are met.
There are about 230-thousand Oaklanders of voting age, and about 13-thousand of them are non-citizens, according to the 2020 census. Many have kids in Oakland public schools. They pay taxes, contribute to the local economy and are invested in the school district.
Kalb said, "All parents of school-age children should be able to help decide who runs the school system."
The vote took place on Tuesday. On Monday, council members,parents, school board officials and community advocates like Unity Council and Homies Empowerment gathered at Oakland International High School to show/express support for the legislation.
