San Francisco Unified School District will close 11 schools at the end of the year, 2,000 students will transfer, and officials will hold community briefings

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On October 8, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) unveiled a list of schools targeted for closure, revealing plans that could see 11 institutions shut down by the end of this year. This decision has significant implications for nearly 2,000 students, who will need to transfer to other schools, while potentially saving the district about $22 million.

Superintendent Matt Wayne explained that the closures encompass eight elementary schools, one K-8 school, and two high schools. Interestingly, two schools that meet the criteria for closure will remain open temporarily to support students from one of the closing institutions.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the schools selected for closure currently serve fewer than 260 students and have received low composite scores. Factors influencing the decision included academic performance, facility conditions, location, and the potential impact on vulnerable student populations.

In the coming weeks, district officials will hold community meetings at each affected school to outline the closure plans, discuss forthcoming budget cuts, and solicit feedback from residents. The district is open to modifying the closure and consolidation proposals based on community input, with a final plan expected to be presented to the school board for an initial reading on November 12. A final vote by the board is anticipated in mid-December.

As of October 8, here are the schools identified for closure and their proposed plans:

– **Yick Wo Elementary** in Russian Hill: Students will be reassigned to Redding and Sherman Elementary Schools.
– **El Dorado Elementary** in Visitacion Valley: This school will merge with Visitacion Valley Elementary.
– **Harvey Milk Elementary** in Castro: It will merge with Sanchez Elementary.
– **Parker Elementary** in North Beach: Students will have the option to transfer to Lau Elementary for bilingual education or Chin Elementary for general education.
– **Malcolm X Elementary** in Hunters Point: This institution will merge with Carver Elementary.
– **San Francisco Community School** in Excelsior: It will merge with Revere, another K-8 school.
– **San Francisco Public Montessori School** in Pacific Heights: This school will merge with Rosa Parks Elementary.
– **Spring Valley Elementary** in Nob Hill: Students will transition to either Lafayette or Alamo Elementary, or to the Chinese Immersion School, which offers Cantonese-English bilingual education.
– **June Jordan School for Equity High** in Excelsior: It will merge with O’Connell High.
– **The Academy High** in Diamond Heights will merge with Wallenberg High.