Board Approves Baltimore Student Trip Two Days Before Departure

The Oakland Unified School District Board of Education convened a brief special meeting to rush through six student travel resolutions — but not before a public commenter leveled pointed allegations about missing safety paperwork, unverified chaperone backgrounds, and an inequitable selection process that left some families in the dark.

• Board approves 27-student trip to Baltimore for Under Armour program, 5-0, despite documentation concerns

• Public commenter alleges missing health records, liability waivers, and unverified background checks for chaperones

• Director Thompson questions why Castlemont High School was left out; no answer provided

Student Trip Approved Over Safety and Equity Objections

The board adopted a consent bundle of six resolutions authorizing 27 students from six Oakland Athletic League high schools — Coliseum College Prep Academy, Fremont, McClymonds, Oakland High, Oakland Tech, and Skyline — to travel to Baltimore for the Under Armour Project Rampart program from April 4–8, 2026. Nine district staff and chaperones per school were also authorized. The vote was 5-0.

Why it matters: The board approved the trip just two days before departure, despite unresolved questions about whether basic safety and legal documentation was in order — a timeline that left little room for course correction.

Where things stand: During public comment, a commenter delivered a detailed critique of the district's preparation. The speaker alleged the travel resolutions were missing required health records, emergency contact information, and signed liability waivers.

"You do not have health consideration as a part of what they have been able to obtain. You do not have the indication that waivers have been signed that will clear the district from all legal emergency," the commenter said.

The speaker also challenged the background check status of chaperones, singling out one individual by name — Jeffrey Taylor, who the commenter claimed no longer worked for the district, calling into question who had verified credentials for the adults accompanying students on the trip.

The other side: The commenter further alleged that the student selection process at McClymonds was not equitable, claiming families were never told about the opportunity.

"I called Ms. Harris today at McClymonds to see if her son was aware of this. She said she never heard anything about it. So what happens in this district is we don't have a process that includes all children," the commenter said.

The speaker closed with a warning:

"I hope when these kids go on this trip that no parent will come forward to say my child wasn't given an opportunity to be a part of this. And I hope that nothing happens because you don't have any health documents in case of an emergency."

No district staff or board members responded directly to the documentation or equity allegations.

Board Director Clifford Thompson separately raised a different concern — the absence of Castlemont High School from the travel list.

"As I was reading through all of the documentation, I noticed that Castlemont was conspicuously missing. I'm wondering if there's anybody online who can actually articulate why that is the case," Thompson said.

General Counsel was not available to answer.

Thompson made clear he supported the trip moving forward: "I would never hold it up." Board President Jennifer Brouhard indicated the board would follow up on the Castlemont question.

Decisions: The consent report passed 5-0. Directors Rachel Latta, VanCedric Williams, Patrice Berry, Thompson, and Brouhard all voted yes. Director Mike Hutchinson and Vice President Valarie Bachelor were absent, as were both student directors. The meeting was adjourned immediately after the vote.

What's next: The 27 students and their chaperones are scheduled to depart for Baltimore within days. The public commenter's concerns about documentation gaps and chaperone vetting remain unaddressed on the record, and the question of Castlemont's exclusion is pending follow-up from district staff.