Board delays vote on proposed paraprofessional reductions after hours of public testimony

The San Francisco Board of Education postponed action on a staff proposal to cut paraprofessional services after more than an hour of public testimony and commissioner questioning.

Orlow O'Keefe, the district's chief administrative officer, explained the proposed resolution would reduce about 11.5 full-time‑equivalent paraprofessional positions (roughly 460 hours) as part of site-level staffing changes driven by declining enrollment and gaps in state and federal funding. O'Keefe said the reduction "translates into about 17 individuals" because many paraprofessionals work less than full time and that the budgetary estimate of savings is in the "$680,000–$700,000" range.

Union leaders and paraprofessionals told the board the cuts would hurt students and called for alternatives. Linda Plack of the United Educators of San Francisco said the district should examine more than 540 temporary paraprofessional assignments before laying off long‑term employees: "This special order of business is a plan to lay off 16 paraprofessionals…There has been a large growth of paraprofessionals in the 3894 and 3894s job codes. These are temporary as‑needed paraprofessionals who work in children's centers and in special education." (speech paraphrased from public comment)

Other speakers, including parents and classroom teachers, emphasized the instructional and community value of paraprofessionals at East‑side schools and warned that losing experienced staff would destabilize classrooms. Dennis Kelly of UESF framed the decisions as a question of district priorities, noting that the district continues to consider administrative hires while proposing cuts to frontline staff.

Board members pressed staff for more detail on which sites were affected, the legal status of temporary assignments, and year‑to‑year attrition rates that could reduce the number of layoffs that would actually be necessary. Commissioners also raised geographic equity concerns, noting a concentration of proposed position reductions at several East Side elementary schools.

Facing those open questions, the board voted to postpone the resolution. The motion to postpone to an adjourned meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. passed on a roll call (7–0). The district staff said it would provide a follow‑up report with further information on temporary classifications, attrition, and possible alternative reductions prior to the reconvened meeting.

The board did not take final action on layoffs at the April 24 meeting. The staff said affected employees would receive 45‑day notices only if and when a final layoff determination is made, and that rehiring from the reemployment list would be possible if openings appear during attrition or vacancies.

What happens next: The board scheduled an adjourned meeting to review additional staff analysis and hear further public input before deciding whether to issue layoff notices.