Four months after control of the Oakland Unified School District was returned to local officials, they face a bleak financial reality that Superintendent Denise Gail Saddler warned will lead to cuts that cause “significant pain.”

In a letter sent to the community Thursday, Saddler — who stepped into the top role over the summer after the school board ousted longtime superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell — said that $100 million must be cut from the 2026-27 budget in order for the district to stay afloat.

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“People we know and care about will lose their jobs. Programs our students love will be reduced or eliminated,” Saddler said. “Services our families depend on will change.”

The warning follows several months of financial crisis within the district. Just a few months ago

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