Oakland Unified School District board president Jennifer Brouhard is fighting to keep her District 2 seat against a parent challenger who says the district is in crisis, as voters weigh whether Brouhard's time on the board has stabilized OUSD's finances or merely delayed a reckoning. Brouhard, a retired teacher first elected in 2022, argues the district has made real progress on its budget, its academics, and its relationship with district leadership. Her opponent, OUSD parent and transportation policy manager Arielle Fleisher, describes a district still gripped by a crisis of leadership, academics, and finances.
The race, first detailed by The Oaklandside, covers a District 2 seat that stretches from Chinatown to east of Lake Merritt and north to Lakeshore and Crocker Highlands. It's a contest that doubles as a referendum on the direction OUSD has taken since regaining local governance authority around July 2025.
A Board Built on Opposing School Closures
Brouhard was elected in 2022 after Aimee Eng, who had held the District 2 seat, chose not to run for reelection. That same year, the OUSD board had released a plan to close or downsize up to 11 schools; Parker Elementary and Community Day School were ultimately shuttered, and Rise Community School and New Highland Academy were merged into Highland Community School. After Brouhard and two other new members were elected, the board reversed plans to close five schools, according to Oakland Voices.
Brouhard has said closing a school does not actually save money, pointing to a Stanford University study that found California school closures led to enrollment losses that negated any produced savings. She has instead proposed sharing underenrolled buildings with community organizations, health services, or adult education programs — an approach shaped in part by the fact that OUSD must offer empty school facilities to local charter schools under Proposition 39, and currently has 10 vacant sites.
The district has also laid off literacy tutors and attendance specialists.
Budget Cuts, Layoffs, and a Leadership Shakeup
The fiscal backdrop is stark. OUSD needed to close a deficit exceeding $100 million, a crisis Hoodline previously reported in coverage of Superintendent Saddler's warnings. More than 400 positions were slated for elimination, and the district passed a 2026-2027 budget containing tens of millions of dollars in cuts, with another $30 million in reductions planned for fall 2026. In March 2026, the board self-certified its second interim budget report as qualified under state fiscal oversight standards, per the Oaklandside's reporting.
OUSD serves roughly 34,000 students. More recently, Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro reported that OUSD's latest budget and fiscal plan was materially stronger than recent submissions, according to the letter cited in the Oaklandside's account.
Leadership turnover has compounded the budget strain. The board separated from former Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell before her contract expired in 2025, which Brouhard has described as a mutual decision. Chief Business Officer Lisa Grant-Dawson resigned and Chief of Staff Dan Bellino was fired that same year. In April 2026, the board paused its search for a permanent superintendent, and interim Superintendent Denise Saddler was expected to remain at least through the fall — a move Hoodline covered in a report on the paused superintendent search.
Spending Caps, Labor Deals, and an Unexpected Election Bill
Brouhard and board colleague Valarie Bachelor introduced a resolution in spring 2026 to cap spending in several areas, including contracts, which led OUSD to cut contracts with afterschool program providers. The district also settled labor contracts with the Oakland Education Association and SEIU Local 1021, with the settlements including substantial pay increases, according to SEIU Local 1021. OUSD began this school year with 99% of teaching roles filled.
The district has also faced unplanned costs unrelated to classroom spending. In March 2026, the Oakland City Council approved an $860,000 legal settlement requiring OUSD to pay back outstanding municipal election costs tied to the 2022 school board race, a liability Hoodline detailed in its report on the district's $860,000 election tab. Meanwhile, OUSD has faced enrollment losses associated with school closures.
Test Scores and the Case for Change
The candidates disagree over OUSD's academic performance.
Fleisher brings a background in public policy to her campaign and says OUSD is in crisis.
OUSD has faced enrollment losses associated with school closures. Board members have said they intend to keep streamlining the budget, hire a permanent superintendent, and monitor outcomes for the district's roughly 34,000 students.
