SFUSD students fear 'gang issues' if district transfers them to new school after closures

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As part of SFUSD's plan to tackle a $400 million budget deficit over a three-year period, June Jordan High School in the Excelsior neighborhood is one of two high schools set to merge with other schools next year.

This plan is concerning teachers who say their students are afraid their lives could be at risk due to presumed gang affiliations.

Alan Tello is a junior at June Jordan High School. Today he decided to speak up to represent many of their classmates.

"The same amount of crying as there is conversations. It's a lot about what the future may look like. 'Specially as a junior, my senior year is impacted," Tello said.

We asked Superintendent Matt Wayne about the decision to merge this school.

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"We recognize June Jordan is a small school, and we want to continue to provide those students with the small school environment. So that is why we think that if the students were to go to O'Connell this could provide that small school environment as well. They have only 500 students and the kids can get their needs met in that setting," Wayne said.

June Jordan is one of the 13 SFUSD schools that meet the district's criteria to close or merge. The students here will go to O'Connell High School in the Mission District. A merger that is concerning teachers.

"We have students who are from certain neighborhoods. That would be very dangerous for them to go to the Mission. There are issues at O'Connell that I have heard about that would make it very dangerous for our students to go to that school. Gang issues, neighborhood issues," said Sandy Amos, June Jordan High School teacher.

Sandy Amos has taught at June Jordan High School for 11 years and wants the district to reconsider.

"I've literally had students say: 'They are setting us up to get killed.' It's that serious," Amos said. "I didn't know what to say. I think that it's really important that the district, and especially superintendent Matt Wayne, come listen to the voices of our students and understand the impact this will have on our students."

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June Jordan is one of the smallest public high schools in San Francisco. A deliberate decision for students to get extra support.

"This school was intentionally created through community involvement and activism process to serve Black and Brown students. Students with IEPs, with disabilities, low-income students, and our school serves the largest percentage of Black and Brown, low income as well as students with disabilities in the area," said René Peña-Govea, a June Jordan High School teacher.

If the SFUSD plan goes through, teachers say students will lose that extra help. Teachers also want SFUSD to think about equity.

"More than half of the schools slated for closures and mergers were in this area that serves mostly, again, Black and Brown students. It's also an area where 40% of SFUSD students reside. So, it really doesn't make sense and gives lie to the district's lip service that they are concerned about equity," said Peña-Govea.

Another concern students have is the distance.

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On the SFUSD website, the district breaks down its plan. Part of it promises:

"The welcome schools(s) are within a 10-minute driving distance from the closing school."

That wouldn't be the case for some students like Tello.

"I live here in the Excelsior and live pretty close to June Jordan. Right now, my commute is about five-ish minutes. My commute to O'Connell will be about 30, and I get driven to school. And people who have to take the bus, it adds about 50 minutes plus, and that is without traffic to get to O'Connell," Tello said.

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SFUSD is planning to eliminate more than 500 jobs, another aspect that is creating uncertainty among teachers.

"We were specifically told that we will not be transferring as a staff to the new school. It's a student transfer and not a staff transfer," Amos said.

Tello had a message for the district: "Listen to your students, to your families, to your teachers, because right now you are not doing that. It's going in one ear and out the other."