Oakland Charter Drops High School Grades Without Approval
East Bay Innovation Academy eliminated its high school without required school board authorization, and the board will vote Thursday.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Secondary Education
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East Bay Innovation Academy, an Oakland charter school serving grades 6 through 12, voted in May to eliminate its high school at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year without seeking required authorization. Nearly 200 students must find another option.
Why it matters
The school's charter is up for renewal in 2027, and the Oakland school board's vote on the grade change could lead to a process to revoke the charter if the request is denied. The decision leaves Oakland families with fewer secondary education options.
High school math proficiency at the school dropped to 18% in 2024-2025 from 41.7% the prior year, a decline of more than 20 percentage points. The middle school began the year with 275 students and is predicted to enroll 330 next year, while the outcome of the Thursday board vote remains unknown.
The players
East Bay Innovation Academy
An Oakland public charter school serving grades 6 through 12 that opened in fall 2014 and is overseen by the Oakland school district.
The details
The school opened in fall 2014 after the district approved its charter and began phasing in high school grades in 2016. High school enrollment declined after the pandemic while middle school enrollment rebounded, and the school's leadership shuttered the high school without first obtaining school board authorization, a step the board chair said legal counsel advised was not required for a vote.
Timeline
2014: The school opened after the district approved its charter.
2016: The school began phasing in high school grades.
May 2026: The school's board voted to eliminate the high school.
End of 2025-2026 academic year: High school grades are eliminated.
Thursday evening: The Oakland school board is expected to vote on the request.
Legal Context
California charter law requires districts to authorize material changes to an approved charter, and the school's decision to drop high school grades without that authorization tests those requirements. The pending charter renewal in 2027 means the board's ruling could shape how the district enforces those rules.
Families with students in grades 9 through 12 at the school must find another secondary option before the grades are eliminated at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. Parents of younger students should watch the Thursday vote, since a denial could start a charter revocation process.
The takeaway
Parents choosing a charter school should check whether its grade offerings can change without board approval, and should ask how their child would be placed if a grade level is closed. Following the Thursday board vote is the clearest way to track whether the school keeps its high school.
What happens next
The Oakland school board will vote Thursday evening on whether to approve or reject the school's request to eliminate its high school grades.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore more Secondary Education news from Oakland.
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