Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Extracurricular Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
After hours of testimony, SFUSD pulls proposed extracurricular policy for more study
Summary
Following more than 50 public speakers—many students and arts educators arguing ticket revenue is essential—the board withdrew a proposed extracurricular/co‑curricular policy for additional fiscal and legal analysis and will revisit it at the next regular meeting.
The San Francisco Unified School District on Jan. 23 delayed and pulled a proposed amendment to Board Policy 6.145 on extracurricular and co‑curricular activities after an extended public comment period dominated by students and arts educators.
Staff presented the policy language recommending that "no student shall be charged a fee for his or her participation in educational activities," with a rules-committee amendment carving out an exception for student athletic competitions. Dozens of students from multiple high schools, technical-theater staff and parents argued that ticket sales and other fundraising are the primary revenue source for school musicals, drama departments and technical-theater programs.
"We put on two shows per year… We sell tickets for these shows, and it is used as a way to fund our next performance so that we can keep on doing these things," said Katinka, an Abraham Lincoln High School drama student. Another student, Raziel Ruiz, who helps produce plays, said the policy would "cripple our drama department" and remove pathways to arts careers for low‑income students.
Legal concerns also were raised: a speaker referenced California Education Code AB 1575 and a Supreme Court case line of authority to argue that charging for spectator attendance is not necessarily a prohibited pupil fee. Staff and board members asked for a fiscal analysis and legal review before a vote.
After extended public testimony, Board President Mendoza McDonald announced the item would be pulled and scheduled for further discussion at the next regular meeting in two weeks. "We're going to postpone this item, have further discussion, and then we're going to bring it back at the next school board meeting," she said. The board requested a district analysis of the policy’s fiscal impacts and options for treating sports events and student performances consistently.
The postponement followed a visible show of student activism from drama and technical‑theater programs at multiple high schools who said ticket proceeds cover costumes, set construction, lighting and technician stipends. The board’s decision pauses any immediate changes while staff compiles the requested analyses.
