Classroom spaciousness at OUSD elementary schools
Hi everyone! I have a question about Oakland public schools. Have you seen the classrooms of any of these schools? I am hoping to find out which ones feel spacious/calm and which ones might feel cramped/tiny, especially for the younger grades.
My kiddo is "high-functionining" autistic and his preschool teachers said he really struggles to learn when he feels physically more confined. She said that we should prioritize a spacious physical environment for him for kindergarten.
I did a tour today of an otherwise-lovely school but it turns out both kindergarten classes are in portable trailers with small windows. Their first grade classrooms are larger but the class size is large as well (23-30 kids), so it felt cramped to me with that many desks in it.
Here are the schools we're looking at, but definitely open to others as well. Thanks! :-) Peralta, La Escuelita, Cleveland, Sequoia, Redwood Heights, Joaquin Miller, Crocker Highlands, Chabot, Hillcrest, Glenview, Bella Vista, and Emerson.
Parent Replies
My kid goes to Joaquin Miller. I would say the classroom sizes there are pretty good. Not large, but at least medium-sized, and with good windows. They do have portables, and currently two of the second-grade classes are in the portables. Which are not tiny, but are smaller than the regular classrooms, and less windowed. But at least K and 1st grade are not in portables. My vague recollection from touring kindergartens 4 years ago is that Redwood Heights had one of the best campuses, with a spacious feel. Sequoia is about medium, like JM. And Crocker Highlands is cramped, with too many kids fit into too small of a space. I haven't actually been inside the new Glenview building, but it's brand new, so probably nicer than the old buildings, and maybe bigger. Hope that helps. Good luck.
We have direct experience with Cleveland. It's a smaller school, and I felt that the classrooms were decently sized -- not huge but not tiny either. The cafeteria/multi-purpose room is small for the school size. There's no gym. Portables are common in many OUSD schools. Some classrooms don't have windows that open. Cleveland's K classes are in a separate smaller building and I thought the classrooms felt bright and cheerful and the space felt adequate. Not huge but not tiny or crammed either. Cleveland does have a very nice gardening program and the campus has more greenery than many other OUSD schools.
I have a 1st grader at Glenview. The school was completely renovated and opened up for the first time in 2021. It is a beautiful school, and the staff, and PTA are very supportive towards the students. The rooms are quite spacious, as well. I would recommend this school. I'm still tapping into the community, but from what I've experienced so far, it's an excellent OUSD school. Good luck!
My daughter is at Crocker Highlands. I won't lie, it feels like a rabbit warren. Her classroom is large but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is spacious. The multi-purpose room is windowless. We also looked at Urban Montessori and the classrooms there were large and spacious. That was many years ago though, and I think that they may be in another building now.
We love a lot of things about Crocker, but given your comments, I don't think that it would be a good match.
Also just for reference--OUSD target class size for early elementary is 24 kids, though the classes can be somewhat larger (though not as big as 30--max under the teachers' contract is 28 or 29, I think, and less for kindergarten). While some schools do have smaller classes, you're going to be less likely to find them at most of the schools on your list, since they are high-demand schools. You might find smaller class sizes at La Escuelita or Emerson, which aren't quite as much in demand as the others you listed. I'm not familiar with their campuses, though, so don't know whether the rooms themselves are large. (Emerson has a large outdoor play space, though.)
Peralta is a wonderful school, but the classrooms are notoriously small.