Oakland Unified students plan sickout protests today

Protesting what they say are insufficient Covid safety protocols by the district, many Oakland Unified students plan to call in sick Tuesday.

An online petition started by Oakland Unified students earlier this month garnered more than 1,200 signatures by Tuesday. The petition called on the district to provide KN95 masks for every student, twice weekly Covid tests for everyone on campus and more covered outdoor spaces where students can eat during inclement weather. If the demands weren’t met by Monday, students would strike starting today, the petition said, and on Friday they plan to protest outside the district’s administration building in downtown Oakland.

District spokesman John Sasaki wasn’t able to say Tuesday afternoon how many students participated in the boycott, since attendance figures won’t be available until Wednesday. Staff sickouts in solidarity with the students’ boycott Tuesday resulted in the closures of Acorn Woodland Elementary School,  Bridges Academy and United for Success Academy.

District officials sent an email to families Sunday night saying they “look forward to seeing students at school” Tuesday and that they have been able to meet most of their demands. They reminded families that the district ordered 200,000 KN95 masks for all students, though students have expressed concern about what will happen after those masks run out. The district has also ramped up its testing throughout the district, opening additional testing hubs today and Friday. However, twice weekly testing is only available at some schools.

The district has also been installing more covered outdoor eating spaces at schools since the fall, officials said.  More schools will have them installed once the district receives the necessary materials, some of which have been on backorder for months, they said.

“We feel like we have very effectively addressed the biggest concerns raised in the petition and brought to our attention by students and staff,” Sasaki said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “Moving on from here we look forward to having all of our students in school tomorrow and we look forward to having all of our schools open.”