As SF Students Return to School, City Leaders Aim to Soothe Frayed Nerves

The first day of school was in full swing in San Francisco on Monday morning — packed buses squeezed down neighborhood streets, parents walked hand in hand with kids loaded down by new backpacks, and music and excited chatter poured out of the schoolyard at Sanchez Elementary in the Mission District.

Fourth-grader Leilani stood by the school’s front door, eager to begin all of the learning in store in math class this year, while third-graders Miles and Miguel reunited on the play yard, their moms hoping they’d run out the first-day jitters before the morning bell rang.

“Get it all out before class,” they yelled to the boys as they sped across the turf-covered blacktop.

“These kids have all been in the same cohort together going all the way through, so they’re really excited to be back with their friends,” said Miles’ mom, Lindsey Husband. “We have a really strong community here, and our principal really holds things together. Everyone that works at Sanchez is just so great. We’re lucky to be a part of it.”

From the familiar greetings that teachers and Principal Ann Marin — joined by Superintendent Maria Su and Mayor Daniel Lurie — gave nearly 300 transitional kindergarten through fifth grade students streaming onto the well-loved campus, it didn’t look like much had changed within the San Francisco Unified School District since this time last year.

That’s how Su seems to want it. On the heels of major budget concerns and leadership changes, and as a new set of unpredictable challenges from the federal government loomed, she assured students and parents that their school would be safe and stable this year.

“Over the last several months, your principal, your teachers, your social worker, your counselor have all been working to make sure that we start the school year great,” she told the families gathered for a morning meeting just after 8 a.m. “We come together to make sure that we continue on the wonderful thing that we already started last year.”

While the energy was high, SFUSD is emerging from a challenging few years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding shortfalls, declining enrollment, and strife between educators and leadership have plagued the district.

Last fall, then-Superintendent Matt Wayne resigned after a poorly executed attempt to close schools, and in the spring, the district cut 400 staff positions to balance a $114 million budget deficit.

After related employee buyouts and layoffs, there won’t be quite as many adults on campuses this fall, but Su told reporters that there will be more permanent classroom teachers on Monday than there have been on the first day in recent years.

Nearly 95% of district classrooms have a permanent, certificated teacher, leaving just about 50 with substitutes. Last year, nearly 100 classrooms were without permanent educators, and in 2023, it was more than 140.

Su also said kinks in the district’s new payroll system were under control after more than 100 educators reported struggles to get proper payment since it launched last month.

As for threats from outside the district, including growing fears among the large immigrant community in SFUSD that federal enforcement officers could target schools, Su said she is collaborating with city and state leaders to protect campuses.

“SFUSD is a sanctuary district that is within a sanctuary city, that is within a sanctuary state,” she said. “We also have policies and procedures in place that will protect our students once they are inside our school building. [We will] continue to work with all of our community partners, like our Rapid Response Network, like the city-funded S.F. legal services community.”

Lurie told those gathered at Sanchez Elementary that his top priority for city schools was keeping students and their parents safe.

“We as your city leaders have your back,” he said. “We’re going to look out for you; we’re going to protect you and keep you safe. Focus on your reading and your math and your writing, and get stronger and better each and every day.”

All focus was on families and encouraging them to buy into their school communities this year.

The district launched a new campaign, “Be Here,” to decrease absenteeism on campuses, is expanding transitional kindergarten classes, and is eyeing an expansion of its Mandarin immersion program in the next two years.

In addition to building up some families’ tenuous relationships with the district after a rocky few years, the efforts could also help shore up much-needed funding.

Despite last year’s budget cuts, SFUSD still has a tough financial road ahead due to federal threats, state budget constraints and a new campaign to open a charter school in the city, which could siphon more money away.

“The right thing to do [is] when we center our students in all the decisions that we make,” Su said. “And that is what I commit to continuing to do.”