Oakland Unified School District stands to cut $15.1 million of budget

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland students pleaded with the school board to solve the district's budget crisis at the top.

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"My school can't afford enough books or other supplies," said Glenview Elementary School 5th grader Lucia. "The problem should be solved by cutting funding from overpaid administrators and contractors."

The Oakland Unified School District is desperately trying to avoid state receivership and may cut up to $15.1 million mid-school year to do so.

"The alternative to this is we don't make our target of having a two-percent reserve and then the state comes in and takes us over," siad OUSD official John Sasaki.

As the school board meeting takes place, the overflow group is outside protesting at the windows so the board can hear their concerns.

"Hey hey, ho ho, where did all that money go," the protesters chanted.

"Mismanagement of funds and not watching the spending -- the excess spending," Jo Bates a union representative explained.

There have been nine superintendents in less than 20 years.

"That makes it very difficult to ensure that we have the kinds of protocols in place to make sure that we have the money we need," Bates added.

Cuts will happen but how many cuts is unclear.

"If they make cuts, it's going to fall most heavily on special education students, students in the black and Latino community," said Special Education teacher and Secretary of the Teacher's Union Mark Airgood.

"We're wondering if we're going to lose music -- we already lost a P.E. teacher and the teacher prep time," said parent Jenny Marshall.

A school officials said the majority of the cuts would come from the central office and not directly from classrooms.

The school board will vote on buget cuts at its meeting next Wednesday.

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