Students and parents from Guadalupe and Rosa Parks urge SFUSD to restore summer literacy, Spanish TK and special-education staff

Students and parents from Guadalupe Elementary and community members from Rosa Parks Elementary used public comment time to press the San Francisco Unified School District board to restore local programs and staffing they said have helped literacy and student stability.

At the start of public comment several students identified themselves and asked the board to reinstate Guadalupe’s springboard summer program and a Spanish transitional kindergarten. ‘‘This program helps many students continue learning and reading during the summer,’’ said Valeria, a fifth grader who identified herself from Guadalupe Elementary. Sequoia, another student, told the board that phonics-based summer help ‘‘builds strong foundations in reading’’ and asked the district to stop busing neighborhood students away in the name of language programs.

Parents and school staff amplified the students’ concerns. Roberto Guzman Garcia said district data show Latino students and other groups at Guadalupe performing below standard and urged the board to stop removing supports—he said the district removed a bilingual speech therapist and discontinued the iReady literacy platform without notifying families. Ayesh Sharma, who identified themself as principal of Guadalupe Elementary, described gains in attendance and literacy tied to local programs and asked the board to ‘‘see, hear our community, and support the future of the students.’’

At Rosa Parks Elementary, parents and staff urged the board to fund a full-time assistant principal and add RSP teachers and paraeducators to serve a high number of students with Individualized Education Programs. ‘‘We need dedicated funding for the support staff necessary for our students to succeed,’’ Courtney Hite said, asking the district to cover legally mandated special-education supports.

Speakers tied staffing concerns to proposed preliminary layoffs and budget pressures. Union and district staff speakers—including a representative who identified themself as from SEIU—urged the board to prioritize contract negotiations and protect low-paid workers. Multiple commenters asked the district to publish any impact assessments used to determine program consolidations.

The board did not make any formal decisions during public comment, but staff and board members acknowledged the concerns and said staff would follow up where appropriate. President Kim thanked commenters and moved the meeting to the next agenda items.

The comments came before the board approved tentative agreements with several labor units and adopted a qualified second-interim financial certification later in the meeting.