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Youth Vote survey finds 90% of SFUSD students plan on college; student voting initiative expands outreach
Summary
A Youth Commission presentation to the board summarized a districtwide student survey (≈8,144 respondents, ±1.1% margin) showing high college aspirations, concerns about jobs and Muni harassment, and announced plans for a May mock election plus a targeted voter‑registration push for eligible seniors.
The San Francisco Youth Commission and Student Advisory Council presented the results of a student survey and described plans to expand the Youth Vote civic‑engagement program across SFUSD.
Peter Lauterborn, education policy coordinator for the Youth Commission, said the program includes classroom civic‑engagement curriculum, a mock election and a student survey. David Binder Research tabulated responses from roughly 8,144 students with a reported margin of error of about 1.1%. Major findings included high overall student satisfaction with teachers but recurring concerns about job opportunities, school meals, building conditions and harassment on Muni.
Lauterborn said 90% of surveyed students plan to attend college, though a majority of those students also reported feeling academically or emotionally unprepared. The mock election conducted earlier showed strong participation at some high schools (Marshall, Lowell, Ida B. Wells). The board heard plans to hold a May mock election after AP testing, provide full language access for materials, and aim for a targeted voter‑registration drive for eligible seniors ahead of the June primary, working with partners such as the League of Young Voters and Democracy Action.
Commissioners praised the project and asked staff to return with protocols and materials for classroom rollout and a timeline for registration efforts; DCYF representatives confirmed initial funding and pledged continued support.
