Alameda County Grand Jury
• 2018-2019
The Oakland Unified School District’s Broken Administrative Culture – Millions Wasted Every Year
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 22 findings
19-5
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District consistently spends near or below the median of the 37district sample on the needs of students (teachers’ salaries, local administration, classroom support, books and materials and pupil services). It spends above and sometimes far above the median on non-classroom administrative, central office staff, contractors and consultants.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-5
The Oakland Unified School District consistently spends near or below the median of the 37- district sample on the needs of students (teachers’ salaries, local administration, classroom support, books and materials and pupil services). It spends above and sometimes far above the median on non-classroom administrative, central office staff, contractors and consultants. 46
No recommendations for this finding
19-6
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s financial problems result from a combination of spending priorities skewed toward non-classroom staff and activities plus poor enforcement of competitive bidding requirements, expensive contracting policies, poor financial discipline and poor business practices.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-6
The Oakland Unified School District’s financial problems result from a combination of spending priorities skewed toward non-classroom staff and activities plus poor enforcement of competitive bidding requirements, expensive contracting policies, poor financial discipline and poor business practices.
No recommendations for this finding
19-7
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s Facilities Department does not follow best practices in developing and managing its operating budgets.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-7
The Oakland Unified School District’s Facilities Department does not follow best practices in developing and managing its operating budgets.
No recommendations for this finding
19-8
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s Facilities Department staff frequently ignored direct orders from superiors, often going over their manager’s heads.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-8
The Oakland Unified School District’s Facilities Department staff frequently ignored direct orders from superiors, often going over their manager’s heads.
No recommendations for this finding
19-9
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s Facilities Department has not provided appropriate leadership in managing the capital program for the district. Approved project costs and schedules have not been controlled, required bidding was often avoided through exceptions, and the district’s use of the lease-leaseback method has not demonstrated cost savings or resulted in speedy completion of projects.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-9
The Oakland Unified School District’s Facilities Department has not provided appropriate leadership in managing the capital program for the district. Approved project costs and schedules have not been controlled, required bidding was often avoided through exceptions, and the district’s use of the lease-leaseback method has not demonstrated cost savings or resulted in speedy completion of projects.
No recommendations for this finding
19-10
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s 50% local business utilization policy adds significant cost to projects.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-10
The Oakland Unified School District’s 50% local business utilization policy adds significant cost to projects.
No recommendations for this finding
19-11
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District has been using Measure J bond funds to pay rent (now over $12.5 million) for their administration offices at 1000 Broadway. There is no approved plan to relocate the district’s central administrative offices to a permanent location, raising serious legal questions about its continued use of bond funds to pay rent at 1000 Broadway.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-11
The Oakland Unified School District has been using Measure J bond funds to pay rent (now over $12.5 million) for their administration offices at 1000 Broadway. There is no approved plan to relocate the district’s central administrative offices to a permanent location, raising serious legal questions about its continued use of bond funds to pay rent at 1000 Broadway.
No recommendations for this finding
19-12
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s culture is broken. It has been described as a district of exceptions with an attitude of “what’s in it for me?” These attitudes harm the district whether it is displayed as favoritism, nepotism, or disregard for board policies. Employees trying to change this culture and move the district forward are sidelined and sometimes forced to leave because the proposed changes “aren’t the way it’s done at OUSD.”
No recommendations for this finding
F19-12
The Oakland Unified School District’s culture is broken. It has been described as a district of exceptions with an attitude of “what’s in it for me?” These attitudes harm the district whether it is displayed as favoritism, nepotism, or disregard for board policies. Employees trying to change this culture and move the district forward are sidelined and sometimes forced to leave because the proposed changes “aren’t the way it’s done at OUSD.”
No recommendations for this finding
19-13
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s Board policies are out-of-date.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-13
The Oakland Unified School District’s Board policies are out-of-date. 47
No recommendations for this finding
19-14
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District’s Board meetings and meeting processes create extraordinary burdens for Board members, the district’s management and staff, and the public. Excessively long meetings fail to focus the Board on its priorities and details, which results in a lack of actionable decisions on key issues.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-14
The Oakland Unified School District’s Board meetings and meeting processes create extraordinary burdens for Board members, the district’s management and staff, and the public. Excessively long meetings fail to focus the Board on its priorities and details, which results in a lack of actionable decisions on key issues.
No recommendations for this finding
19-15
Page 1
The Oakland Unified School District Board has failed in its responsibilities to serve the students of Oakland. Collectively, the Board has not provided leadership and strategic direction to correct the severe financial problems facing the district.
No recommendations for this finding
F19-15
The Oakland Unified School District Board has failed in its responsibilities to serve the students of Oakland. Collectively, the Board has not provided leadership and strategic direction to correct the severe financial problems facing the district.
No recommendations for this finding
Conclusions 1
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CL1 Page 14The culture in OUSD’s administrative offices must change in order to provide its students with the quality of education they deserve. OUSD is wasting millions of dollars well in excess of its projected annual deficits. Drastic action is required to “right the ship” and this must begin at the top. OUSD needs to bring comprehensive and modern best business practices into district offices and leadership. Staff need regular training inculcating these throughout the organization. If staff refuses to buy into these plans, they must be held accountable. OUSD can no longer afford to be philosophical. Restoring financial stability requires sacrifices throughout the organization. Stringent controls, adherence to contracting procedures, updated policies, and school consolidations are immediate priorities. Yet staff cannot be expected to buy into these changes if the elected Board continues to lead by reaction. Failure to put into place a strategic plan and have the courage to carry it out will ensure that the district continues to sputter with under-enrolled schools and shoestring budgets. Over one thousand school districts in the state operate competently with the state’s current funding structure. Oakland is not one of them even though it receives significantly more funding than the median district in the region. The Board has “kicked every can down the line” and rarely acted with a sense of urgency on many vital issues. The state of the district today is the inevitable result. This report has detailed repeated examples of mismanagement, favoritism, disregard for authority and poor controls. Policy and procedures are ignored causing one poor decision after another. Moreover, lack of accountability is rampant. Those who have attempted to instill better methods are ignored or quickly pushed aside. Well-intentioned policies such as individual school autonomy or hiring local businesses cannot continue at a premium in the face of dismal finances. OUSD cannot afford them. The Board and OUSD’s senior management have a monumental task in front of them. Full support from the Board, OUSD’s leadership, management, and employees, as well as recently added support from the Alameda County Board of Education is needed to make progress possible.
Agency Responses 4
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Oakland Unified School District
School District