School consolidations in San Francisco while another school opens
SFUSD opening one school consolidating two others
SFUSD said it is responding to shifting demographics and student needs
SAN FRANCISCO - In San Francisco, one school is closing, while another is set to welcome students for the first time. San Francisco Unified Schools said it is shifting to respond to a changing landscape. That means opening one school in an area that needs one, and merging two of the city's smaller high schools.
San Francisco schools are in transition, having adopted a balanced budget in June after facing a $114 million budget shortfall.
The district said as part of its continuing mission to educate children in the city, the Mission Bay School will begin accepting pre-kindergarten, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten-aged students in the fall.
Superintendent Maria Su said, despite previous financial headwinds, the district will open the site using bond money to address shifting demographic needs in the city.
"Over the last 10 years, we have seen a tremendous growth in the number of families either moving into Mission Bay or have been in Mission Bay, are now starting a family," said Su.
A walk through the Mission Bay area reveals it to be a neighborhood with a lot of young families.
Tessa Williams started Gwiggles preschool in the neighborhood in 2017. Her own family thought she was making a mistake, but she said she watched the neighborhood becoming more family-friendly right before her eyes.
"Now it's exactly that we have this huge park back here. They're building the school down the street, there's daycare and preschools everywhere," said Williams. "I'm so glad it's really changed and it's a great place for families."
At the same time, SFUSD is opening a school, it's announcing that the Academy will close the campus it shares with Ruth Asawa School Of The Arts. The Academy is a small school, fewer than 100 students in all, and offers dual enrollment in high school and City College of San Francisco courses.
The district announced the academy will close at the end of this school year, and the remaining students will move to Raoul Wallenberg High School about three miles away.
While the district acknowledged the move will save money, they say the reason for the move was to provide better options for students at both schools.
"Academy students will become Wallenberg students and we will be expanding the dual enrollment program to all the Wallenberg students there. For the Academy students now they have access to a larger course menu," said Su.
Students at Academy met with the superintendent, many learning the news today. The district said they have the option to go to Wallenberg, some can stay the School of the Arts, or they can transfer to other public schools in the district.
Students said they were disappointed their campus here is going away, and are still considering their options.
"Me and some of my friends are planning to go to private school so it's a little smaller," said Academy freshman Luna Martinez. "But it's really, it's gonna be really hard for us because we all just like started connecting like everyone here so sweet and nice and also we feel like having a smaller environment is easier for us to learn."
The superintendent stressed that the move to consolidate schools in this case was not a financial move. She said it was in the interest of students at two small schools to join together. She has said that any decisions to consolidate schools will come once the district has a better idea of its long-term financial footing.
Featured
SFUSD proposes cuts including layoffs to close budget deficit
There is uncertainty as the San Francisco Unified School District faces a major budget crisis. The district's superintendent unveiled her plan to close the budget deficit as families and staff become increasingly frustrated.