Oakland Unified School District

Measure H - 2/3 Approval Required

Help Oakalnd Pulic High School Kids Become College and Career Ready Without Raising Taxes – Vote Yes on H!

Yes on H extends the highly successful, existing College & Career for All Oakland Fund.

Your “yes” vote continues programs that increase high school students’ readiness to succeed in college and career – and closes the racial achievement gap through access to challenging academics, career-based learning, and real-world work experiences.

These programs are working! Since approved by Oakland Voters in 2015, graduation rates for Black students increased by 17.5% - and the gap in graduation rates between African-American and white students has decreased by 30%.

Yes on H will continue to give students access to career-based learning pathways and close achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, English-learner status, special-needs status, and residency, increasing educational equity. Yes on H continues the funding to attract and keep high quality teachers and school support staff in Oakland, ensuring that our schools are equipped to meet children’s essential social, emotional, and academic needs, including students wo are foster youth, unhoused, or have a disability.

Measure H does not increase tax rates.

Measure H is fiscally accountable – all money benefits local Oakland high school students. Over 90% of funds go straight to Oakland classrooms to continue expanding mentoring, tutoring, counseling, support services, and transition to job training programs for our youth.

Yes on H continues tough accountability protections. An Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee with financial expertise will continue to review all Measure X spending, and annual financial and performance audits will continue to be made public. Low-income residents and seniors continue to be exempt from Measure H.

Join State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Oakland teachers, families, school staff and high school principals in supporting Yes on H.

Join us! Visit: SupportOaklandStudents.com

Keith Brown, President – Oakland Teachers

Pamela Moy, Principal, Oakland High School

Jason Gumataotao, President, Independent Citizens Oversight Commission

Anai Melendrez, 2018 Fremont High Graduate/Carpenter Apprentice

Jessica Jung, Oakland Teacher of the Year

Vote NO on approving Oakland USD’s ongoing wasteful spending and dysfunctional management.

In 2014, Oakland voters approved Measure N, which was a $120 parcel tax that was supposed to last only 10 years.  Now they want to renew it for another 14 years- costing citizens over $150 million! Measure N was supposed to pay for very specific things to help reduce the high school drop-out rate, increase the graduation rate, increase college readiness, and reduce racial disparities. The District has provided no real audit outlining whether any of those things happened or worked. OUSD has collected nearly $100 million in Oakland taxpayer money since passing Measure N, and the results are appalling.

The District has done nothing to improve its financial footing since financial insolvency in 2003, when it was taken over by a state administrator. A grand jury report resulting from multiple complaints was titled “The OUSD’s broken administrative culture-millions wasted every year.” Despite receiving more money per student than most local districts, this year, less than half of seniors were on track to graduate. The District’s graduation rate has been well below the California average for years. Reading and math proficiency rates are far below state averages, and for Black students, they are even lower. Completion of AP classes and A_G college eligibility requirements for Black students has gotten worse too. Enrollment has declined, and chronic absenteeism has doubled since 2017/18, contributing to the current financial crisis. But it was OUSD’s own financially irresponsible decision to keep schools closed longer than almost any other school district that contributed to these problems. The District has no real plan to address the backsliding.

Do not reward the current inept leadership by agreeing to more taxes.

Marcus Crawley – President Alameda County Taxpayers’ Assoc.

Thomas Rubin – V-P ACTA

Marleen Sacks - lawyer

Proponents of this Parcel Tax fail to describe how taxpayer dollars have actually been spent since Measure N was approved or how the programs have improved student achievement. The Measure N promised results never materialized.

Graduation rates stalled in 2017 and haven’t improved since.

Racial disparities in graduation rates have worsened rather than improved.

Graduation rates for Latino and Filipino students have actually gone down since 2017.

Graduation rates for Black students have improved only half as much as they have for White students, meaning that the gap in graduation rates is getting larger, not smaller.

The District proposes a GIMMICK to improve student ratings. Students must pass the A-G requirements with a C or better to be eligible for California’s public colleges. The District proposed to eliminate the “D” grade, thereby shifting poor student performance into the “C” grad. Boosting numbers by lowering academic standards is not progress!

Fiscal accountability at OUSD is appallingly lacking. The Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT) has referred to OUSD’s fiscal practices as “dysfunctional.” Just months ago the County Superintendent of Schools threatened to withhold the salaries of the school board and superintendent due to ongoing wasteful overspending. Proponents argue that this measure will not increase tax RATES, but it does increase TAXES. Let’s require honesty! Each new tax increases taxes. It more than doubles the duration of the tax, meaning mose taxpayers will have to pay approximately $1700 MORE over time.

Say NO to misleading taxes with phony promises.

Marcus Crawley – Pres. Alameda County Taxpayers’ Assoc.

Thomas Rubin – V. P. Alameda County Taxpayers Assoc.

Marleen Sacks - Lawyer

The College & Career for All Initiative – established in 2014 by 77% of Oakland voters – is a program that’s working, with strong fiscal accountability and real results for students.

YES on H renews College & Career for All, without raising taxes.

Since the program’s establishment, graduation rates for African-American students increased by 17.5% - and the gap in graduation rates between African-American and white students decreased by 30%.

That’s why the League of Women Voters (LWVO) and Oakland Teachers endorse YES on H.

Yes on H maintains tough fiscal accountability provisions: at least 90% of Measure H funds go directly into student educational programs. An Independent Citizens Oversight Commission – viewed as one of the strongest/most effective in Oakland – will continue to monitor spending.

A 2021 study commissioned by LWO found our Independent Oversight Commission is “…the strongest…most efficient and organized…Annual retreats to set a strategic action plan and metrics have consistent reporting on track records…”

The results speak for themselves. The graduation gap between white and African American students is shrinking. Students from underserved communities are advancing to college and careers.

While Oakland has many challenges, Yes on H renews programs making a real difference for students – without raising taxes.

Join me and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond in supporting YES on H, a wonderful success story where local voter action has made a real difference in increasing high school graduation rates for Oakland’s students.”

-       Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Measure H requires a 2/3 vote.  Join us! supportoaklandstudents.com

/s/ Keith Brown, President – Oakland Teachers

/s/ Jason Gumataotao, President, Independent Citizens Oversight Commission

/s/ Jessica Jung, Teacher of the Year

/s/ Ahmed Muhammed, 2021 Oakland Tech HS Valedictorian/Stanford Student

/s/ Viola Gonzales, President – League of women Voters Oakland