Let us assume for the moment that the San Francisco Unified School District does, indeed, need to close some schools. I’m not sure I agree with that, but never mind; let’s assume that’s true.
Imagine a process that went like this:
Two years ago, the School Board put together a task force, made up of parents (selected by the PTAs), teachers (selected by the union) and administrators (selected by the superintendent) to study school closure.
That group had a budget to hire consultants if they wanted, but the members agreed to meet in public at least once a month and discuss possible closures and mergers. Every proposal, every consideration, was done openly. There were no secrets about the criteria, the schools that might be on the list, and the impacts on communities.
In the end, the task force would recommend closures and mergers—and nobody would be a bit surprised. Not everyone would be happy, but nobody would feel as if the process was unfair, secretive, or constructed by some sort of consultant algorithm that nobody understood.
That, of course, is not what happened.
The superintendent and his staff, behind closed doors, came up with criteria and a list that was kept secret long after the promised date, and now has community leaders all over the city furious.
It was never going to be easy. Now, just as the district is trying to pass a bond act to upgrade facilities that needs a two-thirds vote, the whole thing is a godawful mess.
Sup. Aaron Peskin held a press conference to push for city intervention in the process:
SFUSD’s decision disproportionately impacts Chinatown, Bayview, and Visitation Valley communities – three of the most historic communities of color, where many immigrants currently reside – and is an attack on cherished small schools around the city. The decision also rips apart tight-knit communities since the schools are part of the historic and cultural fabric of the neighborhood and serve as multi-purpose spaces. … “SFUSD must stop this process right now until we have the appropriate level of community engagement and transparency. We must not allow this to turn into a death spiral when enrollment rates have frankly gone down in part because of the loss of public trust in our SFUSD administration.
Sup. Connie Chan is worried:
Earlier today I met with Superintendent Matt Wayne to discuss the impact their Resource Alignment Initiative will have on the Richmond District and was informed that Sutro Elementary School is one of the schools identified for closure. I am disappointed to learn of this news because, as many of you know, Sutro Elementary is a critical part of the Richmond District and serves Richmond families, including Cantonese speaking students and their families.
Sharon Lai, a candidate for D3 supe, weighed in:
Superintendent Matt Wayne’s approach to balancing the budget and to these potential closures has left many in our community feeling shut out of the process, with little opportunity to understand the criteria behind these decisions. The lack of clarity and timely information has led to deep concerns about the balance and stability of our school system, particularly when decisions that directly affect families are made behind closed doors. The lack of transparency in establishing the parameters and community engagement for the proposed closures is especially troubling because it disproportionately impacts the northeast (District 3) part of San Francisco and its Asian and Pacific Islander (API) population. Families from these backgrounds already face numerous challenges, and the threat of school closures adds an additional burden that they should not have to bear and, frankly, in many cases, can not.
No schools are closing in D5, but Sup Dean Preston notes:
I remain extremely concerned that any approved closures and mergers would be scheduled to take effect at the start of the 2025 school year. This adds stress and hardship as families are already planning for 2025 with school tours underway and the SFUSD enrollment fair this month. I have asked SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne to consider moving the effective date of any school closures/mergers to fall of 2026, instead of fall of 2025, so that families and schools have time to adjust and plan once they see what changes are approved by the school board.
We have yet to hear from Mayor London Breed, Mark Farrell, or Daniel Lurie. But school closures could be a type of October Surprise in the mayor’s race.
On the list is Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy. That school would be merged with Sanchez. Former School Board member, Supervisor, and state Assemblymember Tom Ammiano is livid: It took eight years after Milk’s assassination to get a school named after him (it took only a few months to get a school, and later a conference center, named after Mayor George Moscone, who was shot the same day).
As Ammiano points out in his book, “Kiss My Gay Ass,” “There was tremendous pushback against putting Harvey’s name on a school. I went to a faculty meeting—and I was already familiar with school landscapes and dynamics—where the bigotry was so intense, I felt like I was at a Ku Klux Klan meeting.”
After all that, he said, “this isn’t just about money and bricks and mortar. If the school district is wise, they would undo this. I’m concerned that our gay elected officials will not see this the way they should.”
And that’s just one example.
The schools facing closure are smaller, and offer some programs that aren’t going to be easy, or even possible, to replicated in merged facilities. There’s only one public Montessori school in SF, and it’s scheduled for closure.
Yick Wo School is named after a famous US Supreme Court Civil Rights case. It’s on the closure list.
For some students, smaller schools make more sense. Some get lost in the giant middle schools, which may have more resources but can be intimidating; bigger isn’t always better.
And, of course, closing schools may just drive parents out of the district, making enrollment fall even further.
All this to save $22 million, out of a $1.3 billion budget. That’s less than one-tenth of one percent.
This is becoming an issue for the supes and the mayoral candidates. It ought to be a central issue in the School Board race. So far: Nothing.
