Big changes on the way for the San Francisco Unified School District and some of those changes are not popular with some parents and teachers. Terry McSweeney reports.
Big changes on the way for the San Francisco Unified School District and some of those changes are not popular with some parents and teachers.
A number of SFUSD schools will be closing and merging next year. The exact number and names recommended schools will be announced at a meeting next month.
Parents and teachers sounded off on Tuesday night as they spoke at the SFUSD board meeting.
Some schools are slated for closure due to declining student enrollment. The district said it's now working on the best plan for redistributing students to the remaining schools, prioritizing keeping family members together, and parental school preference.
“The tiebreaker for students, who are enrolled in schools that are recommended for closure, would go just below the sibling preference in our current enrollment system,” said Laura Dudnick, a SFUSD spokesperson.
Also trying to make the best of a not ideal situation, union members were loudly protesting outside district headquarters on Tuesday evening. They said that there’s money available right now for more teachers, nurses and counselors.
“We are here today for one reason and one reason alone. Students are not getting the support that they desperately need,” said Leslie Hu with United Educators SF.
SFUSD said it’s working to hire for vacant positions but the troubled school district’s hands are tied. They released following statement:
“The escalated state oversight has further highlighted the need for SFUSD to take corrective action to eliminate deficit spending and implement sustainable financial practices.”
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