The Oakland Unified School District has quietly suspended the search for a new superintendent due to budget issues, a move that surprised several board members and raised concerns about transparency. The school board president, Jennifer Brouhard, confirmed that the decision was made during a closed-session meeting and was made in secret. The decision allows the board to focus on resolving the district's budget problems rather than hiring a permanent replacement for Kyla Johnson-Trammell, who was mysteriously fired a year ago. The suspension of the search may exacerbate political tensions within the board, particularly between the board's labor-backed majority and other members who disagree with Johnson's cautious approach to district finances. The county superintendent of schools, Alysse Castro, warned that a tentative new labor contract with the teachers’ union could be a worrying sign for the district’s ability to balance its books.