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OP-ED: As California Faces Dramatic Student Enrollment Decline, Officials Seek to Stabilize School Funding

The pandemic has severely impacted student attendance. Unfortunately, it has become common for parents to receive notices from school saying their child has been exposed to COVID-19. Some parents are opting to keep their children home which is beginning to cause a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism in schools.

Published

4 years ago

February 22, 2022

Oakland Post

Margaret Fortune is president and CEO of Fortune School of Education.

Dr. Margaret Fortune is the President/CEO of Fortune School, a system of nine, K-12 public charter schools with over 2,300 students focused on closing the Black achievement gap by preparing students for college.

Looming Funding Cuts Worry Schools

LET’S TALK BLACK EDUCATION

By Dr. Margaret Fortune, President/CEO of Fortune School

Schools have become an extension of the public health system in California’s response to COVID-19.

As the leader of a public school system, I can tell you we have become masters of administering weekly COVID-19 tests to thousands of students and teachers, hosting vaccination clinics, and doing contact tracing. It’s a lot of pressure.

Meanwhile, student enrollment is dropping dramatically across the state. To put it in context, student enrollment was already in steady decline before the pandemic because of low birth rates and migration.

In the 2018-19 school year, student enrollment in California fell by 23,000 students. Last school year in 2020-21, California schools lost 160,000 students, nearly seven times the figure two years ago.

This is a huge problem for California public schools, because they rely on students’ average daily attendance for their state funding. In a year when California is expecting to have a $29 billion budget surplus, it’s imperative that elected officials give the state’s children the first call on the treasury by making school funding stable.

Senator Ben Allen, a Santa Monica Democrat, has a good idea to ensure predictable public school funding. SB 579 (Allen) would hold schools harmless from drops in enrollment for this school year and next.

This bill is on a fast track. It sailed through the Senate (37-0) and as of the writing of this column is in the Assembly. We applaud Senator Allen for his amendment to include public charter schools in the bill as well.

Funding for school districts has always been protected from drops in student enrollment from year to year, but not for public charter schools. Senator Allen’s bold action will keep all schools “whole” during a time when we are experiencing the traumatic impact of the pandemic.

SB 830 introduced by Senator Anthony Portantino, a Democrat representing the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, is another piece of legislation that deals with how schools are funded.

This bill proposes that the California Department of Education stop funding schools based on average daily attendance and instead provide funding according to a school’s enrollment numbers.

California’s policy to fund schools based on average daily attendance made sense before we were in a pandemic.

Now that public health officials are advising schools to require that parents keep their children at home if they are symptomatic, the rules about funding schools based on attendance must change with the times.

The problem is SB 830 (Portantino) excludes public charter schools from the fix. That means 690,657 of California’s public-school children would be left behind in the old funding scheme.

That is unacceptable. It’s particularly problematic for Black students because their parents are more likely to choose public charter schools than other ethnic groups.

That means that these students would be funded at a lower level than their counterparts in school districts. Senator Portantino should amend SB 830 to include public charter schools, so the bill is helpful to all of California’s public-school children.

As we continue to navigate through a pandemic where the state’s response is heavily reliant on using a child’s school as the delivery system for education and public health, one lesson is abundantly clear: If we want schools to stay open, lawmakers must stabilize funding for all public schools — including charters. In a state that has a surplus of funding, it is critical that our elected officials prioritize fully funding all schools to protect us from further feeling the impact of the pandemic.

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Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant Plans Bay Area Farmers Market Initiative

Published

5 days ago

July 18, 2026

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Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant displays watermelons from her Sacramento farm at the Temescal Festival in Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

In her 80s and still actively working as an agricultural engineer, Effie Gant continues to break barriers in urban farming and community leadership.

The certified USDA grower and respected urban farmer, based in South Sacramento, was recently spotted vending at the Freedom Farmers’ Market by the Temescal Street Fair on Saturday, July 11, where she proudly displayed dozens of sweet, juicy watermelons.

Festivalgoers gathered not only to purchase her produce but also to enjoy activities like the popular watermelon-eating contest. Yet beyond the festive atmosphere, Gant has a larger vision.

Gant is now setting her sights on the Bay Area, where she plans to launch a farmers’ market to increase access to fresh, locally grown food.

Known for her leadership in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she brings decades of hands-on experience and community advocacy to regions where food access remains inconsistent.

She has built a strong reputation through her work with Meadowview Urban Farm and the Yisrael Family Urban Farm, cultivating crops such as watermelons, honeydew melons, and collard greens. Her approach emphasizes sustainability, education, and empowering residents to grow their own food, even in small urban spaces.

As a USDA-certified grower, Gant blends technical expertise with grassroots engagement to combat food insecurity.

Beyond farming, Gant serves as CEO and President of Highways to Hedges, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice and community development. She is also president of the Hampton Station Neighborhood Association and board chairman for HHCORE, where she advocates for safety, equity, and economic opportunity.

Her proposed farmers market will connect small-scale farmers with urban communities while elevating Black farmers and other underrepresented growers.

“I want to teach the next generation about farming and how lucrative it can be,” Gant said. “You don’t need hundreds of acres. You can start with one acre or even your backyard.”Gant also noted her involvement in a collective of farmers who supply produce through government-supported programs.

“We operate as a team, and we all benefit,” she said.

Through workshops, speaking engagements, and hands-on training, Gant and her organization continue to educate communities about agriculture and food justice. Her market initiative will emphasize affordability, cultural relevance, and nutrition education.

Her broader work includes creating edible forests in partnership with Soil Born Farms, planting fruit trees directly in neighborhoods to expand food access. As a mentor with the Center of Expertise on Food Justice and Health Equity, Gant remains a leading voice in building sustainable and resilient food systems.

Gant says she welcomes the community to join her in creating a new farmer’s market.

“Farming is essential to life,” she said. “I want to train as many people as I can to use food and farming as a tool for empowerment, health, and long-term change.”

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Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

5 days ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

1 week ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.