SFUSD names schools slated for possible closure or merger amid budget shortfall
Amid a major budget shortfall, the San Francisco Unified School District on Tuesday released a list of more than a dozen schools facing potential closure or merger with another school.
In a statement Tuesday, school superintendent Matt Wayne announced 11 elementary schools that would be impacted by potential changes, along with two high schools. Middle schools are not being impacted during this round of closures and mergers.
"Over the last few years, decisions have been made to minimize the impact on students by relying on our reserves, which are depleting quickly. This is not a sustainable approach to meet the needs of our students," Wayne said. "Without a balanced budget and a plan to consolidate our resources, we risk a state takeover of our school district."
The district announced that out of the 13 schools that met criteria for closing or merging, three of the schools would close. Eight schools would merge with another school, while the remaining schools would be a welcoming school for a closed school.
Elementary schools that met the criteria have fewer than 260 students and are in the lowest 50% of composite scores, while high schools that met the criteria have fewer than 400 students and are not alternative schools.
Proposed SFUSD Closures and Mergers:
• El Dorado Elementary: Merge with Visitacion Valley Elementary and move to the Visitacion Valley campus
• Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy: Merge with Sanchez Elementary, with the campus postentially being repurposed as an Early Education Center
• Jean Parker Elementary: School closing, with students attending Gordon J. Lau (Cantonese bilteracy) or John Yehall Chin (General education)
• Malcom X Academy: Merge with Carver Elementary, with students moving to the Carver campus.
• Redding Elementary: Welcoming school for students of Yick Wo Elementary
• San Francisco Community Alternative TK-8: Merge with Paul Revere TK-8
• San Francisco Public Montessori: Merge with Rosa Parks Elementary
• Spring Valley Elementary: Merge with John Muir Elementary
• Visitacion Valley Elementary: Merge with El Dorado Elementary
• Yick Wo Elementary: School closing, with students attending Redding Elementary (General and Special Day Class Program) and Sherman Elementary (General education)
• June Jordan School for Equity: Merge with John O'Connell High School, move to O'Connell campus.
• The Academy San Francisco @ McAteer: Merge with Raoul Wallenberg High School, move to Wallenberg campus.
According to the district, enrollment has dropped by more than 4,000 students over the past seven years, leading to an $80 million loss in revenue. Following a negative certification of the district's budget report by the California Department of Education, SFUSD was ordered to submit a plan to balance their budget by the 2025-26 school year, which included $113 million in cuts.
Last month, Mayor London Breed announced the city would offer staff expertise in the form of a "School Stabilization Team" and $8.4 million in unallocated funds to help the district.
Wayne said he along with his staff would hold three town hall meetings over the next month with the community. Meetings with staff and families of the impacted schools would also take place.
Final recommendations for the closures and mergers are expected to be presented at the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 12.