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San Francisco Board of Education unanimously endorses SB 840 single-payer resolution
Summary
The Board of Education voted unanimously to endorse SB 840, the California single-payer Health Care for All Californians Act, after public comment citing student health and cost savings. Supporters said the plan could reduce administrative costs and benefit educators and students.
The San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously on Aug. 28 to adopt a resolution endorsing SB 840, the Health Care for All Californians Act, linking student health to academic achievement and urging state action.
Board members introduced and suspended the rules to take up the resolution after a brief discussion about the connection between health coverage and student outcomes. Commissioner remarks framed the resolution as a way to reduce district health-care costs and support educator compensation during negotiations.
Speakers from labor and advocacy groups urged the board to act. Pat Crawford of United Educators of San Francisco and the California Alliance for Retired Americans told the board that "between 25 and 30¢ of every health care dollar that we spend" goes to administrative costs and profits for insurers, contrasting that with Medicare's lower administrative share. Henley Kelly, who helped bring the resolution forward, urged immediate endorsement and said, "This bill probably will not be signed by this governor, but we are in the forefront in San Francisco."
The resolution cites a Lewin Group analysis that supporters say shows cost and coverage benefits under SB 840 and states that a universal system "can likely reduce health care costs significantly" for the district. The board did not adopt detailed fiscal findings of the state analysis but voted to register official support for the bill.
The vote was recorded as unanimous in favor. The board noted public support from local union and retiree organizations. There was no statement in the meeting record of any formal financial obligation by the district tied to the endorsement.
The resolution now stands as a formal endorsement from SFUSD and may be used by supporters in state-level advocacy; the board did not set implementation steps or budgetary commitments tied to the measure.
