Labor leaders and parents urge transparency after district's closure list affects thousands of students and hundreds of staff

A packed Board of Supervisors hearing on Oct. 29 focused on the fallout from the San Francisco Unified School District’s Resource Alignment Initiative (RAI) and the district’s paused list of proposed school closures and mergers. Cassandra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), told the board the list would directly affect “over 7,211 current students” and about “745 of my members,” and described how the proposals risked disrupting classroom placements, special education services and community programs.

Curiel said the process lacked transparency and planning, and she urged deeper collaboration with labor and community partners before any realignment proceeds. “To hear that that was potentially going to shift, we know that that’s a rule that can’t shift,” she said, referencing contract and class‑size constraints. Curiel also criticized the slide decks and metrics used to justify the list and urged more robust facility and enrollment analysis before decisions are finalized.

Antoinette Robertson of SEIU 1021 reinforced the unions’ concerns, focusing on operational staff and school nutrition, custodial and secretarial roles that keep schools open. Robertson said the RAI rollout and the district’s payroll problems compounded anxiety for workers and families and called for the board’s help in ensuring accountability and reversing harmful planning choices.

Public commenters — parents, teachers and school staff — described reputational damage to small and alternative schools, enrollment caps and capped tours, and in some cases alleged the district had actively prevented student enrollment at affected schools. One parent said her child’s school saw a 35% drop in tour sign‑ups after appearing on the closure list. Speakers asked for an independent forensic audit of the district’s budget and for reestablishing standing board committees (budget, business services, buildings and grounds) to provide ongoing oversight.

District leaders and Superintendent Maria Hsu acknowledged past errors, pledged to collaborate, and stressed the need to consider long‑term funding choices. Hsu and deputy officials said the district will work with unions and the board to improve outreach and planning. Board members repeatedly asked for clear, public estimates of savings associated with any proposed consolidation, and emphasized the need for a transparent plan that prioritizes students and staff.

Next steps: the board filed the hearing; supervisors requested follow‑up briefings and asked district staff to provide detailed, verifiable estimates of projected savings, facilities capacity analyses, and plans to protect special education services before any future proposals are advanced.