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SFUSD board adopts resolution opposing California Initiative 794, the "Runner" measure
Summary
The board voted to oppose California Initiative 794 (the "Runner" Safe Neighborhoods Act), citing concerns it would redirect funds to incarceration and impose unfunded mandates on local governments and schools; community groups urged opposition during public comment.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education adopted a resolution opposing California State Initiative 794, commonly referred to in discussion as the "Runner" initiative.
Commissioner Moffis introduced the resolution, arguing the measure would redirect billions of tax dollars to incarceration and enforcement rather than prevention and education. The resolution cited an estimated first-year cost in the hundreds of millions to billions and warned of unfunded local mandates such as criminal background checks tied to housing assistance and GPS monitoring.
Lourdes Duarte, an organizer with the Ella Baker Center's Books Not Bars campaign, urged the board to oppose the initiative, calling it punitive and likely to divert resources away from children and education. Duarte said, "This is going to take money away from our children for their education" and described other provisions she said would disproportionately affect immigrants and youth.
Board members supported the resolution and discussed how the district can express itself while complying with restrictions on using district resources in ballot advocacy. The board noted it can direct its lobbyist and that the board as a body may express a position while staff must avoid distributing advocacy materials using district resources. By roll call the board approved the resolution with the recorded ayes (6 ayes where noted during suspension vote and final adoption recorded), and asked staff to publish the board-adopted resolution in board materials where appropriate.
The resolution names community groups that have mobilized against the initiative and urges local voters not to sign petitions placing the measure on the ballot.
