School board votes to fill vacant spot
The Oakland school board voted late Wednesday to select a replacement to fill a vacant member’s seat rather than hold a special election in the coming months.
Currently, the board has just six members following the sudden resignation earlier this month of Shanthi Gonzales, the outspoken board president who slammed the teachers union and some fellow board members in a departure note.
In their first regular meeting since the resignation, the remaining members decided to start interviewing candidates and select one by the end of June.
The vacancy comes amid a turbulent time for the East Bay school district, including a recent one-day teacher strike over school closures. In addition, the board continues to grapple with years of consistent overspending, which has resulted in state and county intervention. The district remains at risk of not being able to pay its bills in the coming years.
Gonzales, who served just over seven years on the board, moved to Humboldt County days after her resignation. She had eight months remaining on her four-year term. She was not expected to run for re-election in November.
Gonzales was among the majority on the board approving 11 school closures and mergers in the next two years. She and other board members faced a significant backlash, including protests at their homes and places of worship, vandalism and threats.
“I need to be in a place where people treat each other better,” she told The Chronicle in an exclusive interview the day of her resignation on May 2. “Frankly, it is traumatic to be an elected official in Oakland, and I need time to recover from that.”
Gonzales blasted dysfunctional board meetings in her resignation letter to the community.
The resignation could have long-term implications for the political leanings on the board, with the current majority supporting action to prevent financial collapse, including closing schools. Other board members, currently in the minority, say that they don’t believe Oakland Unified has a budget problem despite state and county assertions, and that there is no need to close schools or take other drastic actions.
Two board members were absent at Wednesday’s meeting. The vote was 4-0 to appoint a replacement.
District staff estimated the cost of a special election could exceed $400,000, which the district would have to pay for, while appointing someone would carry little to no cost.
The replacement will represent District Six, which is in East Oakland, finishing out Gonzales’ term, which ends in January. The seat will be up for a vote in the regular election in November.