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Oakland School Board to Decide Fate of East Bay Innovation Academy's High School
The Oakland school board votes Thursday on whether to approve East Bay Innovation Academy's request to drop grades 9-12, a change the charter school made unilaterally in May, forcing hundreds of students to find new schools. Approval would let EBIA continue as a middle school; denial could trigger closure proceedings for violating its charter.
OAKLAND â The Oakland school board is scheduled to vote Thursday on a charter amendment that will determine whether East Bay Innovation Academy can continue operating as a middle school after its governing board unilaterally eliminated its high school program earlier this year.
EBIA was chartered to serve students in grades 6 through 12. But in May, the school's own board voted to cut grades 9 through 12 â a decision made without approval from the Oakland Unified School District, which authorizes the charter. The move left hundreds of high school students scrambling to enroll elsewhere over the summer.
Because the school's charter spells out the grade levels it is authorized to serve, dropping the high school requires a formal amendment. EBIA is now asking the district's school board to approve a grade-level reduction.
The stakes for the school are significant. If the board approves the change, EBIA would remain open as a middle school serving grades 6 through 8. If the board denies it, the school would be operating outside the terms of its charter â a violation that could ultimately lead to its closure.
The vote puts Oakland leaders in the position of ratifying a decision that already disrupted families, or enforcing the terms of a charter the school itself chose to break. For parents and students who were forced to change schools mid-year, the outcome will also shape how the district handles similar situations going forward.
The meeting is set for Thursday. Check back for updates on the board's decision.