Our Approach

✓  Phase 1 is complete.

The Board brought in independent fiscal experts to verify the District’s financial picture, restored the required reserves, and filed a First Interim report with the County. Rather than reacting with immediate across-the-board cuts, the Board took a deliberate approach, directing the Superintendent to return with a systematic plan grounded in independent analysis.

▶ Phase 2 is underway.

The District is making staffing adjustments that protect classroom-facing positions while bringing overall staffing in line with what the District can sustainably support. This includes offering retirement incentives through PARS, eliminating vacant positions, and phasing out positions funded by grants that have now ended. Every personnel action follows negotiated labor agreements and respects employee rights.

To date, OUSD has identified over $64 million in savings through spending reductions and funding shifts. These decisions are difficult and affect real people. They are necessary to keep the District financially stable, preserve local control, and ensure that Oakland, not the state, continues to make decisions for Oakland's children.

Importantly: No entire program has been eliminated. Schools remain open. Classrooms remain protected.

Phase 2 is moving forward. The Board votes on February 25, 2026. RIF notices must be issued by March 15, 2026.

Workforce Realignmentand What it Means

▶  Phase 3 begins Spring 2026.

State law requires every school district to adopt a balanced budget by June 30, a budget that commits to spending no more than the district earns. Phase 3 turns the work of Phases 1 and 2 into a complete budget for the 2026-27 school year, one the district can actually afford. It also creates the conditions for redesigning how OUSD delivers services, in ways that are both financially responsible and better for students and families.

▶  Phase 4 begins 2027-28.

Once the budget is stabilized and repaired, OUSD will be positioned to build for the future. This phase will include a rigorous review of spending, evaluation of organizational structures, and alignment of staffing and services to student need. Spending that does not directly help students could likely be reduced or stopped.

As the District moves into this phase, how OUSD delivers education, and who delivers services within that structure, may evolve. The goal is not simply to close a gap in a single year. It is to ensure Oakland Unified emerges stronger, more stable, and positioned to thrive for generations to come.