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Board refers New School of San Francisco renewal/material revision for further review after legal and community concerns
Summary
The board took public comment and legal argument on New School's renewal and an alleged material revision; charter representatives said the expansion to middle grades is part of a K–12 plan and not a material revision, while critics warned of enrollment and special education access impacts. The petition was referred to the next board meeting for action.
The Board of Education on Sept. 10 heard a first-reading and public comment on a superintendent proposal concerning a material revision to the New School of San Francisco’s charter petition.
Legal counsel for the charter, Jason Miller, told the board the item was procedural and argued that New School’s expansion to middle grades should not be treated as a material revision because the school’s long-term plan has been to grow to K–12. "New School of San Francisco has not submitted a material revision. They submitted a renewal to the charter petition," Miller said, urging that material-revision rules did not apply in this instance.
Public commenters, including representatives of the San Francisco Families Union and advocates for special education, raised concerns that an expansion could pull students from neighborhood schools and create segregation pressures. "Your expansion to a middle school ... will directly impact the enrollment of our most impacted public schools," Julie Roberts Fung told the board.
Other speakers focused on special education access, asking that a charter that does not provide the full continuum of special day classes consider SELPA membership and accessibility.
Outcome: The board moved and seconded to refer the proposal for action at the next board meeting; no final vote on renewal or material-revision status was taken on Sept. 10.
