One of the moms occupying the school, Azlinah Tambu had this to say about the compromise.
“So the building will stay serving the community not as a K-8 school but rather as a community center and rec center, which again wasn't the No. 1 thing it could be but it’s better than it being sold off to and being used for privatization reasons, so it was a compromise .”
The decision was made after weeks of negotiations and months of OUSD security confrontations with the occupants.
Parker Elementary is a 96-year-old school in East Oakland. This school was set to be closed as part of a plan that the school board approved in February. According to officials, Parker Elementary along with a string of other schools were set to close due to its low enrollment.
The Oakland School Board vote, to close down various schools in between this year and the next, has raised concerns in OUSD parents about school accessibility. It’s also a growing issue in the upcoming school board elections.
