Overview of Closures
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) announced on 10/8/24 a list of schools, including Yick Wo, facing closures or mergers as part of a response to a significant budget deficit, which is said to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
In total, 13 schools are impacted by this decision: three will officially close, eight will merge with other schools, and two will serve as “welcoming schools” for the students of the closed schools. The selection criteria for elementary schools included having fewer than 260 students and falling within the lowest 50% of composite scores. High schools with fewer than 400 students were also considered for consolidation.
This decision is driven by a combination of declining enrollment—over 4,000 students have left since the 2017-2018 school year, with an additional drop of 4,600 projected by 2032—and a need to address the district’s financial challenges. SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne emphasized the difficulty of the situation, stating that there are no easy solutions and that significant staff reductions across the district will be necessary. While San Francisco Mayor London Breed has no direct influence over the school closures, she has stepped in to provide the district with a stabilization team to assist in navigating the crisis.
The list of affected schools still requires approval from the SFUSD board, with an initial vote set for November 12 and a final vote scheduled for December 10. Until then, community members, parents, and educators are mobilizing to voice their concerns and advocate for the preservation of their local schools.
SFUSD Announcement