A big box store at Lazear? | The Education Report

A big box store at Lazear? | The Education Report

A big box store at Lazear?

By Katy Murphy
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 6:47 pm in buildings, elementary schools, enrollment,families.

This spring, I wrote about the changes at Oakland’s Lazear Elementary School under its new principal, Kareem Weaver.

Lest the year end without controversy, rumors have been circulating that the school (see below map) could be closed down to make way for a big box store.

More than 100 people came to a recent meeting at Lazear with Oakland school board member Noel Gallo. Gallo said he called the meeting to quell rumors of an imminent closure and to assure parents that a deal wasn’t going to be cut behind the closed doors of the mayor’s office or the superintendent’s office.

But the rumors aren’t entirely off-base. Gallo said he had “an informal meeting