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Parents and teachers urge district to restore Moscone Elementary reading program after $46,000 cut
Summary
Teachers, parents and union representatives urged the board to restore a $46,000 cut to Moscone Elementary that would eliminate the school's Reading Recovery program, arguing the loss will undermine students and be costlier long term; union leaders sought transparency on use of federal EduJobs funds.
Multiple parents, teachers and union leaders told the Board of Education on Sept. 28 that recent budget cuts are threatening successful programs at George Moscone Elementary and elsewhere in the district.
"SFUSD has just cut $46,000 from Moscone's budget because of a 12‑student drop in enrollment," said Emily Gibson, a fifth‑grade teacher at Moscone. She told the board the school has a large English-language‑learner population, that 85 percent of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, and that the district reduction will force elimination of the school’s Reading Recovery program, which she called central to Moscone’s success.
John Bresnahan, Moscone’s resource specialist, said the cut amounts to a 0.4 full‑time equivalent reduction that will directly affect four to six students receiving one‑to‑one Reading Recovery instruction and more students in small groups, and that research shows reading recovery can be far cheaper than later special‑education costs.
Parents said asking low‑income families to make up the shortfall is not realistic. Paula Palomares told the board the school already raises funds year‑round for arts and enrichment and should not be asked to fund basic literacy staffing. Several speakers questioned why some schools receive targeted improvement funds while others like Moscone do not.
United Educators of San Francisco officials pressed for transparency around district spending. "We know the school district is getting federal EduJobs money. Where is that money?" asked Linda Plaque, executive vice president of the union. Dennis Kelly, the union president, said the district should re‑examine administrative spending and consider redirecting funds to classrooms.
Board members and staff acknowledged the concerns. Several commissioners said they would seek more information about how schools were assigned cuts and how federal EduJobs funds were used; one asked staff for a breakdown showing how new executive-zone positions were funded and whether those costs were offset elsewhere.
No formal action to restore Moscone funding was taken at the meeting; parents were urged to submit written material and to continue engagement with PAC and staff. Board and district staff said they will continue to review expenditures and report back.
