Activism

Community Fights to Keep Parker Elementary Open as ‘Liberated’ Community School

The community plan is to “liberate” the school and reopen the school as Parker Community Schools. “We will have resources, programs and classes by and for the community,” according to a flier produced by Parker supporters. “OUSD will call this an ‘illegal occupation,’ but we know this is an effort to decolonize our schools and return them to Black and Brown communities they belong to,” the flier said.

Published

4 years ago

May 29, 2022

Oakland Post

Supporters of Parker Elementary School in East Oakland picket in front of the school April 29 during one-day teacher/Longshore worker strike to protest school closings and privatization of public property in Oakland. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

By Ken Epstein

Parents, teachers and community members are refusing to accept the decision of the Oakland school board, district administrators and state officials who are backing them up to permanently close Parker Elementary School in East Oakland after the school year ends this week.

“OUSD will call this an ‘illegal occupation,’ but we know this is an effort to decolonize our schools and return them to Black and Brown communities they belong to,” the flier said.

Despite public outrage, hunger strikes, student-led walkouts, community marches and a one-day Unfair Labor Practice strike by Oakland teachers, the Oakland Unified School District is moving ahead with its decision to close 11 schools this year and next year. Four schools, including Parker, are set to close or consolidate at the end of this school year.

Parker has a 100-year history and currently serves a population that is 51% Black, 36% Latino and 89% low income.

Since the state takeover of the district in 2003, the district has already permanently closed more than 20 schools, mostly in Black and Latinx flatland neighborhoods, acting under pressure from state Democrats and a state-funded agency, the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT).

After the district closes the school this week, “On (Saturday,) May 28 we’re going to reopen as Parker Community School. The idea is to continue this fight and to make sure that this property and this piece of land stays public and stays in the neighborhood for community members,” said Azalinah Tambu, a parent of two children who attend Parker, speaking May 12 at a meeting of Schools and Labor Against Privatization (S.L.A.P), a coalition formed recently by school communities and the longshore workers in ILWU Local 10.

Tambu explained that Parker is an area of East Oakland “that lacks a lot of public resources.”

“Most of our kids walk to school,” she said. “We don’t have any other K-8 schools in the area. We don’t have a lot of rec centers, we don’t have a lot of groceries, we don’t have a lot of anything over there. So, to take a loss — like a school — is a loss that we just can’t afford to take.”

Tambu continued, “A couple of months ago if someone had told me that we could show up to board meetings and run a board member out of here, Shanthi Gonzales (who resigned recently under pressure), I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“If someone told me we could make a districtwide strike with Port (workers), I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“I didn’t know it was possible. But you guys (people in S.L.A.P.) taught me about something called ‘people power,’” she said.

“We can’t do this alone. It’s going to take something that you guys showed me. It’s going to take people power,” Tambu said.

Parker parent Rochelle Jenkins added, “We have to do everything we can and use everything we know how to use to continue to stay in the fight against school closures, the fight against gentrification and the fight for our men, women and children in our community.”

Parker supporters and other public-school advocates are holding a re-opening celebration on Saturday, May 28 with food, performers and speakers. For more information go to Linktr.ee/ParkerForThePeople

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Activism

Mayor Lee, City Leaders Announce $334 Million Bond Sale for Affordable Housing, Roads, Park Renovations, Libraries and Senior Centers

Saying “Oakland is on the move,” Mayor Barbara Lee announces results of Measure U bond sale, Dec. 9, at Oakland City Hall with city councilmembers and city staff among those present. Photo courtesy of the City of Oakland.

Published

22 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Saying “Oakland is on the move,” Mayor Barbara Lee announces results of Measure U bond sale, Dec. 9, at Oakland City Hall with city councilmembers and city staff among those present. Photo courtesy of the City of Oakland.

By Post Staff

The City of Oakland announced this week that it is successfully moving forward on the sale of $334 million of General Obligation bonds, a milestone that will provide the city with capital funding for city departments to deliver paved roads, restored public facilities, and investments in affordable housing.

“Oakland is on the move and building momentum with this bond sale,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “We are reviving access to funding for paving our streets, restoring public facilities we all use and depend upon, and investing in affordable housing for our community, all while maintaining transparency and fiscal discipline.”

“These bonds represent our city’s continued commitment to sound financial management and responsible investment in Oakland’s future,” said Lee.

“Together, we are strengthening our foundation for generations to come,” she said. “I’m grateful to our partners in the City Council for their leadership and support, and to City Administrator Jestin Johnson for driving this process and ensuring we brought it home.”

According to the city, $285 million of the bonds will support new projects and $49 million of the bonds will refund existing bonds for debt service savings.

Oakland issued the Measure U bonds on Dec. 4 after two years of delays over concerns about the city’s financial outlook. They all sold in less than a week.

The new money bonds will pay for affordable housing, roadway safety and infrastructure improvements, and renovations to parks, libraries, senior centers, and other public facilities under the city’s Measure U Authorization.

Citywide paving and streetscape projects will create safer streets for Oaklanders. Additionally, critical facilities like the East Oakland Senior Center and San Antonio Park will receive much-needed renovations, according to the city.

Some of the projects:

$50.5 million – Citywide Street Resurfacing
$13 million – Complete Streets Capital Program
$9.5 million – Curb Ramps Program
$30 million – Acquisition & Preservation of Existing Affordable Housing
$33 million – District 3: Mandela Transit-Oriented Development
$28 million – District 6: Liberation Park Development
$3 million – District 5: Brookdale Recreation Center Capital Project
$1.5 million – District 1: Oakland Tool Lending Library (Temescal Branch Library)
$10 million – District 3: Oakland Ice Center

“I recognize that many naysayers said we couldn’t do it,” said Johnson. “Well, you know what? We’re here now. And we’re going to be here next year and the year after. The fact is we’re getting our fiscal house in order. We said we were going to do it — and we’re doing it.”

Investors placed $638 million in orders for the $334 million of bonds offered by the City. There was broad investor demand with 26 separate investment firms placing orders. The oversubscription ultimately allowed the city to lower the final interest rates offered to investors and reduce the city’s borrowing cost.

“The oversubscription ultimately allowed the City to lower the final interest rates offered to investors and reduce the City’s borrowing cost,” said Sean Maher, the city’s communications director.

“The Oakland City Council worked closely with the administration to both advance the bond issuance process and ensure that the community had a clear understanding of the City’s timeline and approach,” said Councilmember at-Large Rowena Brown.

“In September, the City Council took unanimous action to authorize the Administration to move forward with the bond sale because these funds are essential to delivering the very improvements our communities have long asked for – safer streets, restored public facilities, and expanded affordable housing,” she said.

Continuing, Brown said, “I want to extend my sincere thanks to City Administrator Jestin Johnson, Finance Director Bradley Johnson, and Mayor Barbara Lee for their leadership, diligence, and steady guidance throughout the City’s bond sale efforts.

“Navigating complex market conditions while keeping Oakland’s long-term infrastructure needs front and center is no small task, and this moment reflects tremendous professionalism and persistence,” she said.

Moody’s gave the city an AA2 rating on the bonds, its third-highest rating, which it gives to high-quality investment-grade securities.

There was both a tax-exempt portion and a taxable portion for the bond offering, reflecting the various uses of the bond proceeds, according to a statement released by the city.

The $143.5 million of tax-exempt bonds have a 30-year final maturity and received an all-in borrowing cost of 3.99%. The $191 million of taxable bonds have a 24-year final maturity and received an all-in borrowing cost of 5.55%.

The $49 million in tax-exempt bonds that refinance existing obligations of the City resulted in $5.6 million of debt service savings for taxpayers through 2039, or $4.7 million on a present value basis.

Mayor Lee said that, based on her experience serving on the House Financial Services Committee of the U.S. Congress for more than 10 years, city staff has done an exemplary job.

“I have witnessed many cities go to the bond market throughout the years,” she said. “I can tell you with certainty that Oakland’s team is remarkable, and our residents should be proud of their reputation, their competence, and their deep knowledge of this very sophisticated market.”

Looking ahead to the final sale of the bonds, according to the city press statement, pricing marks the point at which the City and investors locked in the final dollar amounts, interest rates, and other key terms of the bond sale. This stage is commonly referred to as the sale date. At pricing, no funds are exchanged. The actual delivery of bonds and receipt of monies occurs at closing, which is scheduled within the next two weeks.

Capital projects receiving this funding will proceed on individual timelines based on their individual conditions and needs. At the time of closing, funding will be immediately available to those projects.