How San Francisco Unified's new superintendent plans to tackle budget deficit, save school district

SAN FRANCSICO (KGO) -- A new leader is set to take the reins of the embattled San Francisco Unified School District after Dr. Matt Wayne's resignation last Friday. The school board will formally appoint Dr. Maria Su during a meeting on Tuesday.

ABC7 News reporter Lyanne Melendez sat down with Dr. Su to talk about her vision and how she expects to close their huge budget deficit.

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Lyanne: "I have to address the elephant in the room. You have never been a teacher, you have never led a school district. What makes you qualified to lead the 6th largest school district in California?"
Dr. Maria Su: "I understand there are concerns about whether or not I know how to institute a curriculum or implement instruction. You know what? That is not part of the job that I am going into. My job is to ensure that we deliver on a balanced budget so that San Francisco public schools can retain local control."

While Su is an outsider within the school district, citywide she is highly regarded for her years at the Department of Children, Youth and their Families.

Her involvement with SFUSD came at the request of Mayor London Breed three weeks ago when the district asked the city to help tackle its financial crisis. Su became co-leader of the city's School Stabilization Team.

MORE: Where did it go wrong? Here's how San Francisco Unified's issues led to school closures

School Closings

Lyanne: "When the, now former, superintendent announced schools were closing, what made you decide that it wasn't a good idea to do so at this moment?"
Su: "I feel that what we promised our families and to the school community was that we were going to have some clear information and some clear data and we were going to engage with them on what was happening when things were going to happen and more importantly how it would happen. I feel like we did not do any of that."
Lyanne: "So is the possibility of closing schools still on the table but not in 2025?"
Su: "San Francisco Unified School District has seen a decline in student enrollment over the years. We eventually have to address that but it is not something I want to focus on this year."

Budget Deficit

Lyanne: "How are you going to close this massive budget deficit?"
Su: "I will, on day one, roll up my sleeve and work really hard to look under the hood and figure out what is going on. We're going to have very tough decisions ahead of us."

Parent Concerns

Lyanne: "Right now there are a lot of parents that have lost faith in the school district. What should they hear from you?
Su: "I commit to all of our families, to our staff that I will be a clear communicator, that I will keep everyone engaged in what it is that we will do and number two continue to build the discipline to tighten our belt around spending. I believe that that is what is going to lead us to be able to deliver a balanced budget in December. "

On Dec. 15, SFUSD has to present a balanced first Interim Budget Report to avoid a takeover by the state.