Unions and parents press board over SFUSD closure plan; demand audits, transparency and special‑education protections

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Oct. 29 convened a committee‑of‑the‑whole hearing on the San Francisco Unified School District’s recently released resource‑alignment initiative (RAI) after weeks of public outcry. Union leaders, school staff, parents and students described the plan as rushed and harmful and urged the district and the city to halt further action until a transparent review is completed.

United Educators of San Francisco President Cassandra Curiel said the list of proposed closures and consolidations would directly affect more than 7,200 students and 745 UESF members. “That’s 15 percent of the district’s students and 12 percent of our workforce,” Curiel told the board, urging an immediate pause and a collaborative process including labor, families and community partners.

Curiel and others warned that the draft plan had not accounted for classroom caps and special‑education service needs and could drive an increase in “combo” classes (two grades in one room) and unplanned reassignment of paraeducators, custodians and nutrition staff. Curiel said the draft savings figures (previously described to the public in press materials) lacked verification and that the district had given insufficient detail about where and how savings would be realized.

Antonae Robertson, senior clerk typist for SEIU Local 1021 at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, told supervisors many classified staff serve as trusted daily supports for vulnerable students and said the rollout had deepened community mistrust. “None of this feels student‑centered,” Robertson said, adding that SEIU members worry about special‑education staffing, nutrition services and building maintenance.

Speakers across sectors described a pattern of operational problems at the district: ongoing payroll errors, hiring delays and high vacancy rates in both certificated and classified positions. UESF noted roughly 335 layoff notices had been issued previously and that the district has experienced hundreds of vacancies in recent years, complicating any plan to consolidate schools without detailed staffing models.

Multiple speakers called for an independent forensic audit of the district budget and for the restoration of Board of Education committee meetings (particularly budget, business services and facilities) so the public can monitor contracts and spending. Parents and educators requested publicly available analysis of the RAI metrics, an accounting of projected savings, and specific plans for protecting special‑education “compensatory minutes” and services.

Board of Education President Matt Alexander and Commissioner Alida Fisher attended the hearing. Commissioner Fisher apologized for how the process had been handled and said the district must repair harm, restore trust and work closely with labor and families going forward.

Supervisors praised the unions’ presentations and called for close city‑district collaboration. Several supervisors urged multi‑year planning, clearer public communications and an emphasis on investments that attract and retain students, rather than measures that accelerate enrollment decline.

Public commenters included teachers, school chefs, parents of special‑education students and students themselves; a recurring theme was a request for community‑driven, data‑backed solutions and an end to sudden, opaque decisionmaking. UESF and SEIU leaders pledged to work with the district but demanded transparency and a pause to any final actions until audits and cooperative planning take place.

Outcome: the hearing was held and filed; supervisors and district leaders committed to follow‑up meetings, and unions requested an independent audit and written responses on staffing, special‑education contracts and the district’s savings calculations.