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SFUSD trustees reject staffdraft fiscal plan after students, parents and unions protest cuts to electives and wellness
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment from students, parents and educators urging the district to preserve electives, wellness centers and school safety, the San Francisco Board of Education voted down the staff-drafted fiscal stabilization plan, citing insufficient public engagement and unanswered questions about impacts and revenues.
San Francisco Board of Education President Kim and trustees ended a tense meeting on Dec. 16 by voting down the fiscal stabilization plan staff presented for 2025–26, after students, parents, teachers and union leaders filled the boardroom with appeals to preserve electives, wellness centers and school security.
Those who spoke at the podium described personal reliance on electives and school-based wellness staff. "I'm here before you to ask you to respectfully as a district not eliminate the elective classes for students in the newcomer program," said Andrea Sofia Benitez, an eighth grader at Visitation Valley Middle School, testifying that music and other electives accelerated her English and sense of belonging.
The board heard dozens of similar statements from middle- and high-school students who warned that shifting middle schools from a seven-period to…
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