OFFICE of mean
OAKLAND
22 FES -3 PM 37
CLtRK
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
8 9 0 3 5 ^RESOLUTION NO. C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE SHENG THAO
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE BILL 878 (SKINNER), WHICH WOULD ESTABLISH A STATE-FUNDED
PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT EVERY TK-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL
STUDENT IN CALIFORNIA IS PROVIDED FREE TRANSPORTATION
TO AND FROM SCHOOL EVERYDAY
WHEREAS, a robust educational system is the bedrock of a healthy capitalist democracy by empowering community members, consumers, citizens, and voters to make informed decisions and more readily advocate for their own best interests; and WHEREAS, school attendance is a necessary component of a robust educational system, though not the only component of such a system; and
WHEREAS, research conducted by the California Department of Education covering 2017-2019 showed lack of transportation to and from school was one of the most common reasons students in California missed school, with black students having a much higher rate of unexcused absences from school than their white peers; and
WHEREAS, several studies have also shown that students who were guaranteed transportation to and from school graduated more frequently than students who were not guaranteed transportation to and from school; and
WHEREAS, many school districts in California do not have school buses, and parents must drive children to school, or children must take public transportation or walk; and WHEREAS, requiring children and families to navigate their own transportation to and from school represents a potential barrier to education, especially for families with low income or two working parents; and
WHEREAS, California State Senate Bill 878 (Skinner), called the “Road to Success”, ’ would establish a state-funded program to ensure that every TK-12 public school student in California be provided transportation to and from their neighborhood school every day; and
WHEREAS, the passage of SB 878 would allow school districts to launch or expand their own public school transportation systems funded by the state or partner with public transit agencies to get students to and from school; and
WHEREAS, by providing children and families with guaranteed transportation to and from school, SB 878 would likely decrease absences from school and increase graduation rates, which could yield other societal benefits; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED: That the City Council hereby endorses SB 878 (Skinner) and urges the California State Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom to support its enactment into law.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS %
NOES
toNT- 0ABSE
ABSTENTION-
ATTEST:
City Clerk and Clerk of the-Council of the
City of Oakland, California
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