SF Mayor London Breed slams SFUSD superintendent over school closure and merger plan
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Mayor London Breed put her thumb on the scale in the controversy over SFUSD's tentative plans to close 11 schools, calling on the superintendent Tuesday to pause this process before final decisions are made.
The mayor told reporters she has "lost faith" in Superintendent Matt Wayne's ability to manage this issue, after releasing a statement chastising him. Her remarks come one week after Wayne announced a tentative plan to close 11 schools in the district.
"I am asking for the school district to hold off on this process," Breed said. "It's taking away so much energy from the work we need to do by December and that is provide a balanced budget to prevent a state takeover."
LIST: Which SFUSD schools might face closure or mergers
Breed - who is currently facing a tight race for reelection - said she is not calling for Wayne's resignation, punting that possibility to SFUSD Board of Education.
"This is a decision that the school board has to make for themselves. But what I am saying is that I have lost faith in his ability to manage the school closure/merger process. It has been mishandled. It has been a frustrating process, and it is something that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible," she said.
With a $400 million budget deficit over a three-year period, the school district is looking for ways to cut costs. This plan includes $113 million in reductions for the 2025 to 2026 school year. The school district is also planning to eliminate more than 500 jobs.
MORE: SFUSD parents, teachers left unsatisfied after virtual town hall on school closures
The district has struggled with its finances for years, with declining enrollment leaving about 14,000 spots open district-wide. The loss of students has meant less funding from the state, an amount that is calculated based on total enrollment and overall attendance rates.
Breed, who is advocating for a halt on the plan until the details are sorted out, said she understands the circumstances and the reality that some schools will close. However, she said her frustration lies in how Wayne communicated the news to families, students and faculty.
"We want to support our children. We want to support our educators. We want to support our families over all. But we have to be able to give them clear communication and not fly by the seat of our pants," she said.
MORE: Where did it go wrong? Here's how San Francisco Unified's issues led to school closures
Board President Matt Alexander told ABC7 News he agrees with Breed in-part on the confusion this situation is causing for the community. He also said the board is waiting to hear what Wayne's final decision is.
"As the Mayor notes, we are once again hearing confusion and concern from families, and there is a potential for distraction from the real work to balance the budget and fix our operational issues. The Board is committed to creating the schools our students deserve, and we are actively monitoring the situation," Alexander said in a statement sent via text message.
MORE: SFUSD students fear 'gang issues' if district transfers them to new school after closures
The superintendent doubled down in a statement late Tuesday, after previously expressing fears some of the schools in the district would face state takeover if not a merger or closure.
"With severe budget cuts imminent, continuing with the status quo in SFUSD is unacceptable and not sustainable...I have put forth my initial best thinking to address these challenges, informed by other school districts from around the country, as well as from extensive community input," Wayne said. "Without having the courage to make deep changes and difficult decisions, we cannot expect to meaningfully improve student outcomes."
On Tuesday night, Wayne is holding his first of many meetings to get community input on his proposal. His final recommendation will head to the SFUSD Board of Education, which will make a final vote on the matter in December.
