Yes, I understood that point. My question was slightly different.

And yet this news of higher morale at one OUSD school makes me think of what a 100-yard football field and new portable classrooms would do for my high school. As it stands, we have a 90-yard football field, lopsided goalposts and a turf that apparently has caused injuries to athletes because it was not build with rubber underneath like most artificial turf fields. Our football team has to get on a bus to go to its “home” games. Few students make it to support the team because they’d have to find transportation to do that.

While portables have been replaced at schools like Chabot Elementary in Rockridge, surely raising morale there, I am still teaching in a 40-year-old portable classroom with no sunlight, with floors that are uneven and termite infested, and with mold and mildew growing in the ceiling tiles. The money to replace our portables was approved under the same measure as the money to replace Chabot’s. Why is it taking the district years longer to fix schools that are in poorer neighborhoods than it is to fix schools in the wealthiest neighborhoods in Oakland?

Our federation of small schools has seen up to 176 points in growth on the API since we broke up from Fremont High School in 2003, we are praised for our high quality teachers and teaching practices by our new superintendent, and yet our enrollment has dropped 50 percent. In fact, enrollment has dropped so low that rumor is that we may be closed as a small school next year.

One can only wonder if some kids opt to go to a school where they can play home football games and not risk injury from the turf. If some kids opt to go to a school where they can enjoy participating in the school spirit of a school with a true home field advantage. If some kids opt to go to a school where they can see sunlight and breathe clean air when they study.

Could these priorities have something to do with our declining enrollment?

I just wonder.

Although he was not around in the planning phase of this project, I wonder if some of the positive school feelings are a reflection of the new principal, Clifford Hong. He was very dynamic and well regarded at Edna Brewer, from my understanding.

I’m not trying to usurp the well deserved credit from those who made this project come together, but just curious if there is an overall sense of moving in the right direction due to the leadership changes.