Parents, students push back as SFUSD unveils list of potential school closures and mergers
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Summary
San Francisco Unified’s superintendent flagged a list of schools under review as part of a resource‑alignment plan to close or merge low‑enrollment campuses; parents, students and community groups strongly opposed the list at the board meeting, urging more transparency and protections for small schools and vulnerable students.
President Alexander reconvened the San Francisco Board of Education meeting on Oct. 8, where Superintendent Wayne said the district faces a budget crisis that requires a resource‑alignment process, including initial recommendations for school closures and mergers and a fiscal stabilization plan to be finalized in November and voted on in December.
The superintendent said falling enrollment and constrained resources forced staff to identify schools that meet closure or merger criteria and that the administration will hold a virtual town hall and site meetings before bringing final recommendations to the board. "We're in a budget crisis, that our enrollment has declined and that our resources are stretched too thin," Superintendent Wayne said, laying out the timeline for community engagement and a Dec. 10 board action on recommendations.
The bulk of evening public comment focused on that proposal. Dozens of parents, students and teachers urged the board to reverse plans affecting small schools — most prominently Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy — and to produce clear, transparent fiscal analyses and transition plans. Miles Locker, a parent at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, said, "I implore you to reverse your proposed decision regarding closure of Harvey Milk." Other speakers described the school as uniquely supportive of LGBTQ and neurodiverse students and said the district’s composite scoring and size criteria disproportionately flagged small schools and schools in Districts 10 and 11.
Speakers raised equity concerns and asked the board to explain how closures would affect special‑education services, staffing and neighborhood access to schools. Parents and advocates called for more data about how the district derived savings estimates — several commenters asked for the fiscal analysis that produced the figure publicized in news coverage. At least one commenter cited an estimated $22 million in projected savings and asked for the source and method of that calculation.
Board members acknowledged those concerns during follow‑up discussion and urged community participation in the superintendent’s town halls and site meetings. President Alexander said the board will press for "meaningful community engagement, a clear transition plan and an independent equity audit" before any final actions.
The board did not take any final action on closures at the meeting; the superintendent is scheduled to return with a revised plan in November and a possible vote in December.
