Parents, officials rally at Marina Middle to tackle $113 million SFUSD shortfall

More than 1,000 parents and teachers packed Marina Middle School for a town hall where city and state leaders outlined options to respond to a reported $113,000,000 budget shortfall that district officials say could produce hundreds of staff layoffs.

The meeting, organized by parents and moderated by KQED host Michael Krasny, brought Mayor Gavin Newsom, Superintendent Carlos Garcia, Board of Education President Jane Kim and state legislators to discuss short-term patches and longer-term revenue reforms. "We have to play offense," Newsom said, urging consideration of a partial parcel tax on the November ballot while warning that city resources are strained.

Organizers framed the evening as both a call for immediate relief and a launch of broader state-level advocacy. "We want to fund this gap," said organizer Crystal Brown, citing the $113 million figure and urging parents to build a "strong and powerful parent voice" across San Francisco schools. Panelists agreed mobilization and advocacy in Sacramento would be necessary to prevent deeper cuts.

Superintendent Carlos Garcia told the audience parents must pressure state leaders and that the district would pursue multiple options, including partnerships with businesses and foundations. "If we don't stand up for our children, who will?" Garcia said, adding that the district had already identified roughly $45.5 million in central-office and program reductions as a starting point for negotiations.

Several elected officials proposed revenue ideas. Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and others said changes to Proposition 13 — particularly closing commercial-property loopholes — would free money for schools. Senator Mark Leno proposed restoring a local vehicle-license fee as a district-specific option that could generate an estimated $70 million a year for the city and transit, while suggesting a 1% entertainment-ticket surcharge to support arts education.

State lawmakers emphasized the limits of Sacramento's current revenue structure. "We are captive of a minority," said Senator Leland Yee, describing resistance in the Legislature to new taxes and arguing elected officials must be pressured not to approve budgets that cut education. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma urged parents to help lobby the governor and legislators directly.

Parents and union leaders pushed back on proposals that would shift cuts into classrooms. Dennis Kelly, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, warned against balancing budgets "on the backs of the children" and urged the district to pursue efficiency and revenue-generating uses of school property. An audience member who identified himself as an SFUSD teacher criticized proposed class-size increases and called for clear transparency on administrative salaries and staffing cuts.

The California State PTA and other groups outlined specific organizing steps. Debbie Look said the PTA planned a three-pronged campaign of public outreach, a petition drive to qualify a local-control measure lowering the parcel-tax threshold to 55%, and legal action: "We are signing on as the principal plaintiff in a lawsuit" challenging the state's school funding system. Mary Perry of EdSource urged simplifying the state's complex Ed Code so voters and policymakers can see where money flows.

Organizers announced near-term public actions and budget-process milestones. They called for a demonstration at Civic Center Plaza on March 4, encouraged volunteers for signature gathering, and listed district budget hearings scheduled by the superintendent: March 3 at Horace Mann, March 10 at Marshall High School and March 11 at Francisco Middle School. Garcia stressed the board must pass a balanced budget by law by June 30, and described the district's approach as presenting a "menu" of negotiable options to the public and bargaining units.

What happened and what to watch next: parents mobilizing for petitions and demonstrations; a State PTA-led lawsuit seeking to force changes to the funding system; legislative proposals to amend Prop 13 or restore vehicle-license fees; and a set of public budget hearings where district officials will present and refine cuts or alternatives. The school board will make the final budget vote after public input.

— Reporting from the town hall: organizers, district and city officials pledged follow-up and asked attendees to stay engaged; the meeting closed with organizers collecting contact information and action items to continue the campaign.