Oakland – The state of California has restored additional oversight authority to the Oakland Unified School District's Board of Education after an evaluation showed that the district is making progress toward stability.

While OUSD’s State Administrator, Vincent Matthews, will continue to hold jurisdiction over Pupil Achievement and Financial Management, other aspects of operating the schools have been slowly returned to the Board of Education.

On April 8, the Board regained the authority to appoint a District Superintendent, Independent Internal Auditor, and control over the personnel and facilities departments. Last year, the state restored the Board’s oversight of Community Relations and Governance.

OUSD is to be commended for its progress but there are challenges ahead, particularly the Governor’s proposed budget cuts, said Alameda County Schools Superintendent Sheila Jordan.

“We can’t weave cloth without the wool,” Jordan said, noting that the community and local leaders have been key in supporting classrooms and students but that won’t be enough to make the district fiscally solvent. “We can’t depend on the part-time generosity of one elected official or another, we need the state to do its job.”

In 2003, OUSD requested and received a $100 million bailout from the state with the condition that the district be controlled by a state-appointed administrator.

OUSD’s progress toward stability is being evaluated by the state’s Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), which assesses performance in five areas of operation: Pupil Achievement; Financial Management; Facilities Management; Personnel Management; and Community Relations & Governance. When FCMAT determines that the District has made sufficient progress in a specific area (typically a 6.0 score on a 10-point scale), that area is recommended for return to the school board.

“This is a most welcome development that stands as a tribute to the work the Oakland community has done to rally around the idea of local control and the work we, as a Board and District have done, to prepare for the return of local governance,” said Board President David Kakishiba. “Today’s event is a significant step toward the goal of restoring full governing authority to an effectively managed school District which serves the needs of its students.”