SFUSD board approves plan to shift Newcomer High resources into newcomer pathways at comprehensive high schools

The San Francisco Unified School District board voted to approve Superintendent Carlos Garcia's recommendation to reallocate Newcomer High School's resources into newcomer pathways at several comprehensive high schools, a move staff said will expand access to programs and supports for newly arrived English learners.

The action, taken March 9 after a staff presentation and more than an hour of public comment, responds to district data staff said show higher dropout rates for students who began at Newcomer High School than for comparable students who started at comprehensive sites. "We had, 12 schools on that list," Superintendent Garcia said in his report to the board when discussing state actions; staff later tied overall performance data to the newcomer proposal.

Staff presentation and data. Christina Wong of the superintendent's office described Proposal 102-SP2 as a five-point plan that would close the Newcomer High School facility and "reallocate existing resources at Newcomer High School to 4 to 6 comprehensive high schools with emerging newcomer pathways," create a transition team, and work with families and staff to secure placements. Dr. Jennifer Fong of English Learner Support Services presented dropout and postsecondary data and told the board that "32 percent of the students at Newcomer High School dropped out compared to only 13 percent of students who started at the comprehensive high schools" in the cohorts she reviewed.

Public reaction and concerns. Dozens of students, alumni, parents and volunteers urged the board to keep Newcomer open. Student speaker Javier Hernandez said, "Newcomer has programs that help all kinds of people...they have teachers who provide us with caring and love," and asked the board to "put your heart...and ask yourselves if it really is good for you to close a school like Newcomer." Former student Ray Hardy told the board that data comparisons can be misleading because newcomers often arrive midyear and with interrupted schooling.

Board deliberations and safeguards. Board members split over the recommendation but ultimately approved the plan. Members who supported the measure cited the dropout and a-to-g access data; those opposed or concerned urged clearer transition and monitoring steps. The board directed staff to form a transition team to work closely with Newcomer families and the receiving comprehensive sites, to airmark funds for newcomer specialty services (staff cited an example memo adding $250 of newcomer EL specialty funding per student), and to ensure counseling and wellness supports at host sites.

Numbers and next steps. Staff said roughly 110 Newcomer students were preparing to transfer to comprehensive sites by June and that about 50 students would remain at Newcomer if the facility were to remain open. The district committed to working with families to secure appropriate placements for remaining students and to a monitoring plan under the Lau Action Plan to evaluate outcomes.

The vote on the superintendent's recommendation was announced at the meeting as approved (board announcement cited six ayes); staff said they would return with detailed transition plans and continued engagement with the Bilingual Community Council and Newcomer staff.

What happens next. Staff will convene a transition team, develop an orientation and ongoing support schedule for incoming newcomers at comprehensive sites, and provide an implementation timeline and monitoring metrics to the board. The board also signaled it will review outcomes and remain engaged with community stakeholders as the transition moves forward.