Parents and students urge SFUSD to preserve bilingual pathways and after‑school OST programs

Dozens of parents, students and educators urged the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education to reverse or pause recent assignment and program changes that they say threaten bilingual pathway continuity and vital after‑school services.

At the start of public comment, parent Lynn Muscat told the board the Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program (JBVP) pathway is a generational program and said families are “frustrated that my daughter wasn't assigned JBVP at Presidio” despite listing it as a top choice. Fifth‑grader Amiko Muscat addressed the board directly, saying she wanted to continue studying Japanese at Presidio but “I did not get into the program. I think this is unfair.” Several other families — many describing multi‑year participation in elementary pathway programs — urged the district to restore guarantees that a middle‑school bilingual track would be available at receiving schools.

Parents and staff also pleaded with the board to halt proposed closures of OST classrooms at Reading and Drew elementary schools, saying abrupt termination of sites scheduled for summer would leave working parents without childcare and disrupt students who rely on consistent after‑school supports. Teacher Robin Carter said she risks losing a $144,000 grant for comic‑writing workshops if Reading’s OST closure proceeds and warned that closures would “not just be to families in the OST program, but also to students in my comic writing workshops during the regular school day.” Multiple parents recounted how OST enabled them to work and keep housing; one parent said losing two hours of supervised after‑school care could cause their family to become homeless again.

Speakers representing special‑education and parent advisory groups highlighted equity concerns for English‑learners and students with IEPs, noting that after‑school staff often provide critical continuity for services not captured during the school day. Alida Fisher, chair of the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, urged the board to “keep these programs open and work with community members to provide ways to fund credentialed certificated staff.”

Board President Stefan Cook acknowledged the number of commenters and noted staff would follow up where appropriate; the board did not take immediate action on any of the public requests that evening.

The public comments came during the meeting’s general public‑comment period and covered multiple agenda items and neighborhood concerns. The parents asked the district to provide clearer assignment rules, faster notice to families, and a review of how pathway priority and lottery tiebreakers are being applied.