School board candidates react to preliminary closure announcement
Welcome back to the "Meet the Candidates" series for the school board, where we ask each candidate one question every two weeks. They must answer the question in 100 words or fewer. We will link to longer answers.
Eleven candidates are vying for four seats on the city's seven-person school board. The election will take place on Nov. 5. Non-citizen parents of children living in the city are permitted to vote in school board elections, and can find information on doing so here .
For months, San Francisco Unified School District families have waited in limbo as the crisis-stricken district announced potential school closures for 2025–2026, then postponed the release of the closure list. On Oct. 8, however, Superintendent Matt Wayne put out a list of 13 schools at risk of closing or merging , angering just about every stakeholder in the process.
This week, we asked the candidates:
Can you comment on the potential school closure list and whether you agree with the chosen schools? Additionally, please provide your thoughts on the use of enrollment numbers and the 10 criteria related to equity, excellence and effective use of resources to score and choose the schools.
Candidates generally panned the preliminary announcement, citing a lack of both transparency and consideration of community input. Some expressed concerns that the closures will affect special programs and further drive families from the district, and some argued the district should focus on addressing other issues — like the budget deficit — first.
SFUSD's closure goal was 90% utilization. The eligible list, if left untouched, may reach 80%. Since 500 positions need to be cut to balance the FY 2025-26 budget, there will be classrooms without teachers and probably another round of closures in the near future. Regarding schools on the list, there are . Where is the equity in that calculation? Does the district think that these families can be pushed around easier?
I'm very concerned with the district's lack of transparency and communication surrounding the school closure list. The district needs to assure the community that it is preserving school communities and programs in order to achieve the long term vision of fully-staffed, fully-enrolled schools in every neighborhood.
The Superintendent must truly listen to all affected communities to make this process successful for the long-term health of our schools. I encourage SFUSD communities to reach out to district staff—many decisions aren't final yet, and your input is important. We've all got to work together because failing our kids isn't an option.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, UESF, SF Parent Action, GrowSF ... read more here
What's so incredibly frustrating for parents is that this could have been avoided. We've watched the Board of Education mismanage our finances for decades, and now we're being told to close schools or face a state takeover.
The priority I'm hearing from most school communities is to avoid the state coming in and hacking apart our district without regard for families, teachers, or kids.
It's a moment for tough choices, and I understand the anger of parents, students, and teachers who are being forced to pay the price for the inactions of the school board that go back many years.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, UESF, GrowSF, TogetherSF Action ... read more here
Two months ago I thought that given our deficits it made sense to close highly under-enrolled schools. But I've heard people question whether closures would even save money. I've also learned about other district issues that need to be addressed. A campus that's only 25% filled shouldn't stay that way forever. But we should solve a lot of these problems at once before disrupting people's lives. I also think that questionnaire was just asking parents to make hard decisions for us. Why can't the board and the district get serious and solve problems the right way?
Poorly thought out on so many levels. As the only K-12 SFUSD graduate school board candidate, I remember so many wrongs the district has done to Asian Americans and communities of color. How do you just end schools with the names of Spring Valley, Harvey Milk and Malcolm X? The criteria are vague and the scoring a black box. Stop this closing schools effort and do a good job balancing the budget. Less money for central staff and consultants. More info on my website .
Endorsed by: SF Guardians, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former School Board President Emily Murase ... read more here
The potential school closure list is devastating to our families and communities and the result of years of mismanagement. The process has been confusing and chaotic and has only increased anxiety and distrust. Behind every "number" is a student, educator, and family. Many question which schools were chosen and why. The district faces budget cuts and potential state takeover, requiring difficult decisions and tradeoffs. Between now and the December board vote, I will listen to community concerns and insist on clear and accessible transition plans for closed/merged schools, including transportation mapping. All communities seek excellence. We can keep some ... read more here
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, SF Guardians, SF Parent Action, GrowSF ... read more here
No response received.
Endorsed by: UESF, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
Closing schools is not the answer; it will only make things worse and drive more families away from public schools. It will make the existing schools more crowded and class sizes even larger; the schools that are targeted for closure are smaller schools and specialty schools that are much needed in our communities. Smaller and specialty schools are meant to be small for kids that thrive in smaller classes and customized learning plans; these schools are the lifeblood for our families. Closing schools does not solve the budget deficit; increasing revenue sources and reducing our administrative costs are better areas ... read more here
Endorsed by: The San Francisco Republican Party, San Francisco Young Republicans, The Republican Club of San Francisco, San Francisco Briones Society ... read more here
There is a lack of clarity and transparency in the definition of "equity." Equity should focus on closing opportunity gaps to help students meet higher standards, rather than dismantling successful programs.
schools currently on the list have a proven track record of culturally affirming programming that helps address opportunity gaps in their communities. There is no assurance that children who need these programs will be placed in similarly supportive environments. Our administration must provide a transparent fiscal analysis and audit of these programs to ensure that our most vulnerable communities are not disproportionately affected. Recent decisions have already left ... read more here
Endorsed by: Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, School Board Commissioner Jenny Lam ... read more here
There is little rhyme or reason behind the decision or the criteria used to close schools, and discussions were mostly done behind closed doors. Therefore, I stand with the students, families, and staff who are fighting to keep their schools open, and my job, if elected, will be to keep our families in the city by keeping as many of our public schools open as possible. One could argue that if we do not close schools and repair the budget, then the state may step in and take over the SFUSD. But there is no guarantee that closing schools will ... read more here
My wife and I appreciate the diversity of SFUSD school programming. We sent our daughter to Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila so she could communicate and connect with her non-English speaking maternal grandfather. I see the unique features in the affected schools from creating a sense of belonging with LGBTQ families to language programs.
When the School District finalizes school closures, it must offer alternatives to families and educators that take these features into account. To do so, the school district must be as transparent as possible and really listen to what affected communities value.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Senator Scott Wiener, UESF ... read more here
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated every question. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at .
Read the rest of the school board questions here , and the entire "Meet the Candidates" series here .
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website . Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
