Prioritizing students and families amidst SFUSD uncertainty
Dear friends and neighbors,
This school year, our SFUSD families returned to much uncertainty about the fate of their children’s schools. As a public school parent and a Supervisor representing families across our district, I’m concerned about the situation and closely monitoring it. I wanted to provide you with some updates and encourage you to be part of the process that is unfolding.
As you probably know, the school district’s Resource Alignment Initiative was set to make school closure recommendations in September, but at the last minute delayed announcing the list of schools potentially slated for closures, mergers, and co-location. In a September 15th statement, SFUSD Superintendent Wayne announced that the recommendations would be delayed from “Sept. 18, as originally planned, until October. This delay is to ensure a thorough review of all aspects of the plan.”
Families were already stressed by this process, with uncertainty about where their students might be in Fall of 2025, but the delay has compounded the problems. With SFUSD enrollment ramping up for new and transferring students, as well as ongoing vacant teaching positions and budget issues, families are under increasing stress. Meanwhile the lack of transparency is troubling. As my colleague Supervisor Walton, a former school board member, noted at our last hearing, district leadership likely already knows which schools they seek to close and the delay in sharing that with families is unacceptable. Meanwhile, tours of schools for prospective students are beginning in October, with a January deadline to apply, yet students and families don’t even know what schools will be open in fall of 2025.
We want to keep families informed as we receive updates, and there have been rapid developments in just the past two weeks.
Mayor Breed announced on September 22 that she is sending a “School Stabilization Team” to provide independent analysis and review of the needs of SFUSD students and school communities. According to her announcement, she is using $8.4 million of unallocated monies from the voter approved Student Success Fund for this effort. We look forward to getting more information about the Mayor’s plans and the use of the funds.
Supervisor Connie Chan has authored a resolution urging SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne to reevaluate the school closures plan. The resolution is on this week’s Board of Supervisors agenda on October 1. You can read the resolution here.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a special “Committee of the Whole” hearing on the $20 million in special education funding that SFUSD should have allocated to requisite teachers and staff, as well as the Mayor’s use of funds for the School Stabilization Team. You can follow the October 1 Board of Supervisors meeting on sfgovtv.org, or participate in person at City Hall. Here is the agenda (hearing is item #24).
The next regularly scheduled school board meeting is on October 8 at 6:30pm. The public can share comments with the school board in person or by email.
Let's face it-- the restructuring of the SFUSD school portfolio will be disruptive to communities already under stress. Given its myriad challenges and the delay in making recommendations, I do not believe that the district can effectively implement a school closures and mergers plan to take effect in Fall 2025. I sincerely hope the district will delay the effective date of their recommendations to Fall 2026. Families depend on our schools to provide a quality public education and critical resources to help their children grow and thrive. Our families need to have full and timely information about such major changes, and a meaningful opportunity to weigh in and shape decisions.
We will continue to do everything possible to support students and families.
In community,
Dean Preston, District 5 Supervisor
