O


akland, California is located on the east side of the San Francisco Bay and is the third-largest city in the Bay Area. With a population


of over 440,000, it’s known for an award-winning zoo and a thriving arts scene. It’s also consistently ranked as the most dangerous city in California, according to the FBI, and one of the most impoverished. Of the roughly 40,000 students who attend Oakland Unified School District, close to 60 percent live in economically disad- vantaged households. The district transports about 1,300 students a day, mostly students with special needs who


64 School Transportation News • JULY 2024


receive door-to-door service. Kim Raney, the district’s transportation director, explained that at least 50 percent of the students are English language learners and 90 percent are children of color. “It’s a hard place to live,” she admitted, adding Oakland area diesel emissions are in the 90 percentile and lead to high rates of asthma and other significant health concerns. “We definitely have a challenge in our community.” Raney, however, added that one person and one com-


pany in particular has put Oakland first and advocated for its success: Dr. Pallav Prakash, director of electrifica-


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