Supervisors back creation of Children’s Collaborative Task Force to bridge public, private and parochial schools

The Rules Committee voted to send a resolution establishing a Children’s Collaborative Task Force to the full Board of Supervisors after the sponsor described it as a step toward pooling resources among public, private and parochial schools.

Supervisor Alioto Pier said San Francisco has 113 pre‑K to high schools and that funding and resources vary widely between public and private systems. "We need to start looking at children as a whole in San Francisco," she said, arguing that subcommittees and neighborhood outreach could help surface local needs and opportunities to share resources.

The sponsor proposed an 18‑member body broken into equal parts for parents and educators across school types but circulated an amendment of the whole to reduce membership to 12 and add language on appointment timing, term length (two years after the initial meeting), quorum and staffing. The committee discussed whether six members would suffice and whether the city administrator should staff the task force; supervisors suggested piloting a smaller body with a review after six months or a year.

Myung Lee, representing the San Francisco Unified School District, said the district welcomed the conversation and could participate in solution-oriented discussions. Committee members emphasized that the task force should include outreach to neighborhoods and consider subcommittees focusing on public, private and parochial needs.

The committee adopted amendments and agreed to forward the measure with a recommendation. The task force would advise the board on policies to ensure all children have equitable access to educational and cultural resources.