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SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced he is entering negotiations with the Oakland Unified School District to return partial local control to the district in two out of five operational areas, the first step toward enabling the district to hire a superintendent. The district had already assumed control in July over one operational area of community relations and governance.

"Oakland Unified School District is making a valiant effort to come back from severe financial difficulties that unfortunately forced it to come under state control," said O'Connell. "I'm very pleased to announce that the district is making great strides in its recovery plan, enough so that I intend to return personnel management and facilities management control back to the school.

"Once details of the district's management over these areas are agreed upon over the next few months, a memorandum of understanding will be signed and the district will have authority to begin a search for a district superintendent."

The memorandum will address in detail the unique arrangement whereby the state administrator appointed by O'Connell will continue to have authority over the remaining two areas of pupil achievement and financial management, while the board and its new superintendent will have authority over the three operational areas of community relations and governance, personnel management, and facilities management. Vincent Mathews will continue serving as the state administrator and also the trustee of the district. Even in his role as trustee, the state administrator may intervene in any decision that may have negative financial consequences to the district.

"The Board of Education and, I think it's fair to say, most of Oakland, welcomes this decision," said school board president David Kakishiba. "It stands as validation of the work we have done to prepare for the return of local governance and represents a great leap toward the day when full governing authority is restored to Oakland."

Oakland Unified School District has been under state receivership since June 2003, after it obligated more money than it had in its budget. Senate Bill 39 was signed into law that year to appropriate a $100 million emergency loan to the school district. SB39 also required the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) to prepare an improvement plan for Oakland Unified.

The plan includes measuring improvement in five operational areas: (1.) community relations and governance; (2.) personnel management; (3.) pupil achievement; (4.) financial management; and (5.) facilities management. Accomplishment of the plan is measured on a score of 0 to 10, with 0 meaning no significant evidence of improvement was made, 1 to 7 meaning plans were partially implemented, and 8 to 10 meaning improvement plans were nearing full implementation. FCMAT may recommend to the State Superintendent to return an operational area to local control if the score reaches the upper middle range.

O'Connell returned community relations and governance to Oakland Unified in July, after FCMAT gave the school district a score of 7.27 in that operational area. The school district implemented a communications plan, improved its parent-community relations, collaborated with the community and business, adopted and revised policies, and received training on board meetings.

In its most recent progress report dated November 2007, FCMAT gave Oakland Unified a 6.60 in personal management after it stabilized its human resources staff, finished negotiating labor contracts, and completed other administrative payroll functions. Also, the school district received a score of 7.08 in facilities management after it made great strides in creating policies and procedures to evaluate the condition of its facilities. Both improved scores triggered a recommendation to O'Connell by FCMAT to return those operational areas back to the school district.

Oakland Unified received a score of 5.87 in pupil achievement and 5.30 in financial management, meaning further progress is needed in order to return those operational areas to local control. To view the FCMAT report, please visit Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team [http://www.fcmat.org] (Outside Source).