OUSD Board Places $195 Parcel Tax on November 2026 Ballot

The Oakland Unified School District Board of Education moved quickly to secure a revenue lifeline for its middle schools, then spent the rest of a daylong special meeting confronting harder questions about whether the board itself can function well enough to manage the challenges ahead.

• $195 parcel tax headed to November 2026 ballot to replace expiring Measure G1, preserving $12 million annually for middle school programs and teacher retention

• Director Berry abstains, citing lack of G1 Commission input and doubts about voter appetite after Measure E's failure

• Exemption changes tighten eligibility, dropping Section 8/very low income carveout to align with state law

• Board retreat surfaces trust deficit, with members acknowledging performative meetings and individual-first decision-making

• School safety elevated as a priority after violent incident at Ruth's Community Health Resource Center

Editor's Note: Due to a technical bug, the July 28th meeting report was missed. The error has been corrected. Apologies for the delay.