Board approves qualified first-interim budget certification and ratifies labor deals amid warnings of deeper cuts

The San Francisco Board of Education voted to adopt a qualified first-interim fiscal certification for fiscal year 2023-24 and ratified tentative successor agreements with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and United Educators of San Francisco (UESF). The board approved the first-interim package by a 5-2 roll-call vote and later approved both labor agreements unanimously.

The action matters because the first-interim report and accompanying AB 1,200 disclosures outline how the district plans to pay for recently negotiated labor increases while addressing a multi-year budget gap driven largely by declining enrollment and lower state cost-of-living adjustments. Superintendent Lee said, "We are presenting the, first interim report," and framed the plan as a necessary step to demonstrate affordability while the district pursues longer-term changes.

In presentation and materials, Chief Financial Officer…