Proud graduates celebrate at Bay Area Technology School, which recently relocated to a new facility in the Fruitvale.
Choosing an elementary and middle school for me and my brothers was always simple for my mom. We went to the neighborhood school; the one just a short walk away, the same one all my siblings had attended. It was familiar, close, and convenient.
High school, however, was a completely different story.
The nearest high school my mom knew of was a 40-minute walk from our home. She refused to send her 14-year-old daughter that far alone, especially early in the morning or heading home in the dark during winter months. So, she did what many parents do: she asked around.
That’s when she heard about a small charter school about 25 minutes away—20 minutes if I speed-walked! My cousins had gone there, and what truly convinced my mom was the school’s mission: college access.
As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, my mom didn’t know exactly how she would help me get into college or what the process even required. But she knew one thing for sure: she needed to find a high school that would support me every step of the way. That school became a crucial part of my journey.
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For families now, learning about public school options in Oakland doesn’t have to mean relying solely on word of mouth—though talking with other families is still incredibly valuable. Today, you can use Oakland Enrolls as your one-stop shop to explore public, tuition-free school options across the city.
With Oakland Enrolls, you can easily discover schools by location and grades offered. And once you click into a school profile, you can find even more details, including:
- School contact information
- School size and demographics
- Special Education Programs
- English Language Learner supports
- After-school Enrichment programs
- And more!
Don’t wait to start your school search—especially with the holidays coming up and schedules getting busy. It always arrives faster than you expect. The deadline to apply is February 13, 2025
Many charter schools offer a variety of sports programs free of charge. Here, students at AIMS take a break during a soccer match.
