SFUSD unveils 'Discover, Apply, and Enroll' outreach plan and a mobile enrollment bus to reach families
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Summary
District staff described a broad outreach and recruitment effort for the new student assignment process, including a mobile Enrollment Processing Center bus, expanded discovery workshops, satellite application collection sites, text‑messaging outreach, and a phased approach to online tools; key dates include a November enrollment fair, an application deadline in February and placement letters in March.
Staff presented an outreach and recruitment plan designed to support implementation of the new student assignment policy and to help families navigate the enrollment cycle.
"Discover, Apply, and Enroll" is the new tagline staff said will be applied to materials to guide families through the three actions they must take. The plan includes expanded discovery workshops, an interactive school selector on the enrollment website, satellite application collection sites near schools, language assessment dates on Saturdays, and targeted outreach for families affected by school closures (for example Willie Brown families).
Staff also described a mobile Enrollment Processing Center (EPC) — a donated school bus configured as a rolling enrollment office — that staff will park in neighborhoods to counsel families and collect applications. The district intends to put a template application online but said it is not yet ready to accept full online submissions because address verification and technology infrastructure are still under development.
Key timeline items staff cited included kickoff of the enrollment cycle at an enrollment fair in November (noted outreach events around Nov. 13 in discussion), a placement application deadline in February (staff cited Feb. 18 as the March placement deadline adjustment), and placement letters to families on March 18; additional placement periods were planned for May and August. Staff said neighborhood‑level route and infrastructure guidance would be shared by July so families could plan across the three‑year roll‑out.
Public commenters and parents praised outreach innovations: Ellie, executive director of Parents for Public Schools, and Valerie Higgins of Parents Republican Schools welcomed the mobile bus and text‑messaging plans as tools to reach hard‑to‑reach communities; parent Todd David urged more transparency around consultant decisions and suggested longer satellite collection windows and parent‑to‑parent outreach.
Staff told the committee it would convene additional meetings with parent groups, principals, and community partners, and return with more detailed infrastructure information at the November 8 ad hoc meeting. The committee asked staff to clarify online address verification and to report back on progress developing the assignment algorithm and oversight arrangements.
