The San Francisco public school system is facing its biggest crisis since the 1970s when it integrated schools and classrooms in 1971 and suffered the brunt of Proposition 13, the statewide property tax reform passed in 1978. By the end of the 1970s, San Francisco introduced elections for school board members instead of mayoral appointments and experienced drastic school budget cuts. Many San Francisco families moved out of the public schools and some left the city altogether, reducing public school enrollment from over 95,000 to approximately 50,000.
As the school district embarks on its most significant changes in half a century, here are 10 important things to know about how it got here and the path forward:
1. What is the school board voting on Tuesday night?
California law requires school boards that might lay off teachers and other staff at the end of the school year to first inform them of that possibility by March 15. The school board will vote on the superintendent’s recommendation to inform 559 employees (and ultimately up to 833 total) that they may not be retained after June 30. These employees are entitled to ask for a hearing. No final decisions will be made to go through with the layoffs until May.
2. How severe is the funding crisis?
School funding is primarily a function of state expenditures based on student attendance. For years, our school district has had more administrators and expenses than would be expected for its size and only began to curtail expenses in the past year. The budget it approves in June for the next school year must be reduced by $113 million out of a total budget of $1.2 billion. Over 80 percent of the budget is devoted to salaries and benefits of employees.
3. What happens if the school board rejects the school district plan?
Without these cuts, the superintendent has stated the school district will run out of money by mid-2026. If that happens, the State of California could provide a loan to the school district but also assume full financial control. For these reasons, the school board is expected to approve the painful cuts to prevent a state takeover.
4. What can the city or the state do to bail out our schools?
Over the years, San Francisco voters have approved the Student Success Fund, Public Education Enrichment Fund and other measures to support school programs and teachers. These will continue. But Mayor Lurie and the Board of Supervisors face their own city budget gap of $800 million so, while the city might loosen some restrictions, it’s not likely to provide more dollars. Similarly, the governor’s proposed budget did not increase education funding, and that was before the state suffered a $40 billion loss from the Los Angeles fires.
Without budget cuts, the school board will run out of money, and children may not get lunches.
5. Can the federal government make things better or worse?
The superintendent has warned that the school district could not withstand the loss of up to $50 million in federal assistance it now receives. San Francisco could lose a substantial amount of funding as a result of federal budget cuts to school lunch and other education programs that will affect all school districts or be a special target of the Trump Administration and Congress because of the city’s and state’s immigration sanctuary policies.
6. What will the situation look like in the classroom in the fall?
School principals, educators, and communities are now confronting the realities of this very question. The superintendent has created a school staffing model that outlines the minimum that each school must have and how to utilize additional funding to employ more teachers, counselors, social workers, or aides. The process is just starting, and there are no guarantees except that school sites will have fewer employees.
7. Would things be any different if the school district had closed some schools?
The previous superintendent planned to close or consolidate 13 schools that would have directly involved less than 4 percent of the student body and saved $22 million for next year. Former Mayor Breed opposed the plan and the superintendent resigned shortly after the plan was announced. The current superintendent has stated that schools may be reduced but not until fall 2026. If the number of schools is reduced in the future, savings could go to restore some of the cuts being made now.
8. Didn’t San Francisco just vote for more school funding last November?
San Francisco voters passed Proposition A, a $790 million school improvement bond. The largest single expected expenditure is for a central kitchen for school meals. The public schools are now the largest provider of daily meals in San Francisco. Bond funds must be spent on construction and certain renovations but not employee salaries or programs. Other planned expenditures are a $105 million school renovation, a $25.7 million high school gym and auditorium and the replacement of one of the three-century-old high school buildings (Galileo, Balboa, or Mission High.)
9. What can San Franciscans do to help?
Severe cuts to the school budget appear to be inevitable. Being informed and involved will help the school district to make cuts that, while necessary, have less educational impact on students than others and to carefully spend the money it has. To give families a reason to stay in the public schools, the school district needs to prioritize schools and programs that increase student educational outcomes, especially for those who need the most or special help. Now is the time for parent organizations, school alumni, community associations, businesses, foundations, and others to identify needs and raise money to help San Francisco school children and educators survive the budget uncertainties and upheaval.
10. What happens next?
In March and April, schools will decide how to allocate the diminished resources made available for next fall. The layoff process will be finalized in May. State and federal lawmakers will finalize their budgets, which will either help or worsen the school district’s economic outlook.
Based on all these actions, the school board must approve a balanced budget by the end of June.
Updated Feb. 22, 2025 at 12:42 p.m. to correct planned expenditure amount for a high school gym and auditorium and replacement of a century-old building per Proposition A.