On October 8th, the San Francisco Unified School District announced a list of schools that are set to close by the end of this year, a decision that was initially anticipated last month. This announcement confirms that 11 schools will shut down, affecting nearly 2,000 students who will need to transition to other institutions. The district estimates that this move could save up to $22 million.
Matt Wayne, the Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, revealed that the closures will include eight elementary schools, one K-8 school, and two high schools. Notably, two schools that meet the closure criteria will remain open temporarily to support students from one of the closing establishments.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the schools identified for closure have enrollments of fewer than 260 students and have received lower overall ratings. These ratings take into consideration a range of factors, such as student performance, school conditions, location, and the effects on disadvantaged students.
In the next five weeks, district officials plan to conduct community meetings at each of the affected schools to outline the closure plan, discuss impending budget cuts, and collect feedback from residents. Based on the input received from the community, the district may adjust its closure and merger plans before presenting a final proposal to the school board for a first reading on November 12. The school board’s final vote is expected to take place in mid-December.
Here’s a breakdown of the schools scheduled for closure and their corresponding plans:
– Yick Wo Elementary in Russian Hill will close, with students reassigned to Redding Elementary and Sherman Elementary.
– El Dorado Elementary in Visitacion Valley will merge with Visitacion Valley Elementary.
– Harvey Milk Elementary in the Castro will merge with Sanchez Elementary.
– Parker Elementary in North Beach will send students to Lau Elementary for bilingual education or to Chin Elementary for general education.
– Malcolm X Elementary in Hunters Point will merge with Carver Elementary.
– San Francisco Community School in Excelsior will merge with another K-8 school, Revere.
– The San Francisco Public Montessori School in Pacific Heights will merge with Rosa Parks Elementary.
– Spring Valley Elementary in Nob Hill will merge with John Muir Elementary.
– Sutro Elementary in Inner Richmond will reassign students to Lafayette or Alamo Elementary, or a Chinese Immersion School offering Cantonese-English bilingual education.
– June Jordan School for Equity high school in Excelsior will merge with O’Connell High School.
– The Academy high school in Diamond Heights will merge with Wallenberg High School.
