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Board urged to accept $378,000 juvenile education‑advocacy grant for Public Defender
Summary
The committee heard a presentation and forwarded an ordinance allowing the San Francisco Public Defender27s Office to accept a $378,000 grant to fund an education advocacy attorney to support youth in expulsion/IEP proceedings; the position is grant‑funded and expected to run one year with potential extensions.
The Budget & Finance Committee voted to forward to the Board an ordinance authorizing the San Francisco Public Defender27s Office to retroactively accept and expend a $378,000 grant to establish a legal educational advocacy project for juveniles.
Patricia Lee, managing attorney of the Public Defender27s juvenile unit, said the one‑year OJJDP grant will fund a new education attorney to attend school expulsion and IEP hearings, provide bilingual parent workshops, and work quarterly with partners including juvenile probation, the district attorney27s office, San Francisco Unified School District and City Youth Now. Lee said the grant is expected to be extended for two additional years but is initially grant‑funded.
Supervisor Kim praised the Public Defender27s youth work and asked whether the position is grant‑funded; Lee confirmed the post is funded by the grant and would be eliminated if funding lapses. The committee had no public commenters on this item and moved the ordinance forward with the Budget Analyst27s recommendation.
Next steps: The ordinance will be transmitted to the full Board of Supervisors with the committee27s recommendation.
