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SFUSD superintendent previews Aug. 16 start, says SIG award will be $45 million
Summary
Superintendent Garcia told the board the first day of school is Monday, Aug. 16, and said a statewide compromise reduced the district's School Improvement Grant allocation from about $47.5 million to $45 million; the district is also a Race to the Top finalist and expecting released test results.
Superintendent Ramon Garcia told the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education on Aug. 10 that the district’s first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 16, and offered several funding updates aimed at easing the short summer and supporting persistently low-achieving schools.
Garcia said the district had expected about $47.5 million in School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds but that, after negotiations with other California superintendents and a statewide compromise, the district would receive $45,000,000. "We'll give up instead of getting 47 and a half million, we'll get $45,000,000," Garcia said. He described the outcome as a workable compromise that should be finalized with the state board of education within about 10 days.
The superintendent also said the district is a finalist for Race to the Top funds after a presentation in Washington, D.C., which could bring additional resources if California is selected. Separately, Garcia said state testing results would be released soon and indicated they were "pretty good news," though he said the state embargo prevented him from detailing scores at the meeting.
Board members and staff framed the funding news as important for the district’s 10 persistently low-achieving schools; Garcia said the SIG allocation would allow those schools to pursue improvement strategies. A board member also thanked facilities staff and voters for bond-funded summer renovations on school campuses.
The public portion of the meeting included no public speakers on the consent calendar. The board adjourned the public meeting at 6:42 p.m. and moved into closed session.
What’s next: Garcia said the SIG recommendation would go to the state board of education; the board will continue implementing plans once funding details are finalized.
