Focus on Education

SFUSD: Equity and School Closures

• • • • • • • • Ocober 15, 2024 • • • • • • • •

The SFUSD Superintendent will be getting an earful from 13 affected school communities about proposed mergers and closures.

No one likes change, especially when it involves your own school.
Ultimately, the decision goes to the school board on December 10. This will be the classic push and pull of decision making.

Does the school board listen to the analysis provided by the school district?
Does the board vote NO in response to the concerns of parents?

I hope, imprinted on the forehead of every school board member, is a warning:
Without a balanced budget and a plan to consolidate resources, we risk a state takeover of our school district.
A note of history: SFUSD is in this crisis in large part because the school board and leadership refused to make belt tightening decisions for years.

What’s the plan?

The district has created a list of schools that bends toward both ethnic and geographic diversity.

For good reason.

The largest complaint about school closures in California and nationwide is failure to balance student demographics. Oakland is the poster child for getting it wrong.

SFUSD proposal:

Are the schools located mostly in one area of the City? NO
They are located in many diverse neighborhoods throughout the City.

Are all the major ethnic groups impacted by the plan? YES
The greatest number of students affected are Hispanic, which is the largest ethnic group in the district. This is then followed by Asian, White and Black. The student ethnicity in the school closure proposal reflects—within a few percentage points—student ethnicity in the district as a whole. Not exactly, of course. That would be impossible.

An under-enrolled school does not have enough students to offer the educational opportunities we want for them in a fiscally responsible way.”

A very small percent of students are affected by the proposal, less than 4%.

If this school closure/merger plan is adopted, there still will be many schools that are under enrolled. Read an excellent analysis here.

How did the district select the schools?

Hint: Pick schools that are too small to efficiently meet the needs of students.

Early grades

At the younger level, they picked
Elementary and TK-8 schools with fewer than 260 students and are in the lowest 50% of SFUSD composite scores:

Why?

The district says:
“An under-enrolled school does not have enough students to offer the educational opportunities we want for them in a fiscally responsible way. For example, when an elementary school has at least 260 students, SFUSD can provide at least two classes per grade level from K-5 and a TK class or two special education classes. It enables more efficient use of our educator workforce where teachers who provide enrichment opportunities (e.g., art, library, PE) can focus their time on one or two schools rather than going to multiple schools. This is the same for staff who support teachers and students, such as instructional coaches and social workers. “

High Schools

At the high school level, they picked schools with fewer than 400 students that are not alternative schools:

Why?

According to the district,” At the high school level, a school should have 400-600 students to offer the learning opportunities students need to graduate college and be ready. This number of students allows us to offer all the courses necessary to meet the A-G requirements to be eligible to attend a college or university in California. It also ensures students may take Advanced Placement classes and electives and participate in career pathways.”

What’s Next?
Lots of meetings. Parents who oppose these closings will—and should—be organized with specific reasons why their school is a bad choice for closure/merger.

Oct. 14-Nov. 1: School site engagement (see here)
Oct. 24: Budget Town Hall #2 - TBD
Nov. 6: Budget Town Hall #3 - TBD
Nov. 12: Regular BOE Meeting: Staff presentation of the proposed new school portfolio and recommendations for school closures, mergers, and co-locations
Dec. 4: Additional engagement - To Be Determined
Dec. 10: Regular Board Meeting: Board of Education action on school closures
Dec. 12: Special Board Meeting: Adoption of 1st interim, including any additional budget balancing adjustments for current or future years.