SFUSD will be closing schools. Want to know if your school is on the closure list?
WE DEMAND THE SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMISSIONERS VOTE AGAINST THE AUGUST 29, 2023 RESOLUTION, WHICH WILL GIVE SUPERINTENDENT MATT WAYNE UNILATERAL POWER TO CLOSE OUR SCHOOLS AND APPOINT A DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC) TO DISPOSE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL PROPERTY! (Under California Education Code Section 17387)
SFUSD District leaders need to refocus on students-centered solutions and stop engaging in the unproductive, fiscally irresponsible, and harmful process of school closures.
Despite heated debates over the practice, empirical evidence about school closures has been clear. Public school closures in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Hayward, Houston, Oakland, Pasadena, Philadelphia, and St. Louis have had detrimental effects on students, families and educators. Here are 10 reasons why school closure policies are harmful:
1. Increased Declining Enrollment: Public school closures lead to a perception of instability and loss of faith in the education system, causing families to seek alternatives such as charter schools or private education. This further accelerates declining enrollment in public schools, making it challenging for the district to provide quality education to its remaining students. (EX: Oakland’s district schools enrollment decreased from 54,000 to roughly 35,000. )
2. Persistent Budget Deficits: Paradoxically, despite the closure of schools and sale of properties, many districts continued to grapple with budget deficits. The costs associated with closing schools, maintaining vacant buildings, and align with legal and logistical complexities often outweighed the expected savings, leaving districts in worse financial distress. These deficits hinder investments in the remaining schools, perpetuating a cycle of underfunding and declining educational equity.
3. Disrupted Learning Environments: School closures disrupt the continuity of learning, causing academic setbacks for students.
4. Inequity: Closure decisions often disproportionately affect marginalized communities, exacerbating inequalities. (EX: Between 2004 and 2019, OUSD closed 19 traditional public schools, all of which were in the flatlands of East and West Oakland and served majority Black and Latinx populations.)
5. Lack of Community Input: Many closures occur without adequate input from parents, teachers, and community members, eroding trust in the education system.
6. Increased Transportation Burden: Students forced to switch schools face longer commutes, adding stress to their daily lives. In some cases, students were removed from the District by their parents because they could no longer balance work-school commute.
7. Loss of Support Systems: School closures led to the loss of vital support systems, including counselors, special education services, and culturally competent teachers.
8. Teacher and Staff Displacement: Valuable educators and staff often lose their jobs or are reassigned, disrupting relationships built with students and parents.
9. Negative Impact on Mental Health: The upheaval caused by closures lead to increased stress, anxiety, and mental health issues among students.
10. Community Erosion: Schools are community anchors; closures can contribute to the decline of neighborhoods and local businesses. (EX: Researchers at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) reviewed US Census data and discovered school closures intensify gentrification in Black neighborhoods. “In an era where school districts are writing statements and promising policy in ‘defense of Black lives,’ this study is a reminder that school closures, as an educational reform strategy, can materially contribute to the disintegration of Black communities.”)
Our students and families deserve better. We deserve Commissioners who will put the word Equity into practice and commit to investing all resources towards keeping our schools open and making them better, not closing them and causing long-term harm to already vulnerable students.
Please sign this petition to show your support for communities and demand the SFUSD BOE does not close our neighborhood schools!