SFUSD outlines $113.8M budget gap; public and staff urge protection of counselors, social workers and neighborhood schools

San Francisco Unified School District leaders told the board Feb. 11 that the district faces a projected $113,800,000 budget shortfall — roughly 10% of the district’s budget — and outlined an initial “staffing model” that would fund a pared‑down base allocation first while identifying additional services to be paid from restricted and grant funds.

Superintendent Dr. Hsu presented the district’s current budget picture and told the board: “we are, at this moment in time, facing a very large deficit. Dollars 113,800,000.0 represents 10% of our budget and it requires us to make really difficult decisions.” The superintendent said district payroll is large and warned that, without reductions, the district could exhaust one‑time reserves and face cash shortfalls in 2026.

Assistant Superintendent Melli Lau Smith described the proposed staffing model as a multi‑tier approach: a base enrollment‑driven allocation (teachers, principals, clerks, custodians and core operational costs), followed by funding for sports, library, arts and music (PEAF/SLAM) and then grant‑funded school resources and…