Facing a projected budget deficit of up to $11.38 billion next year, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is implementing measures such as early retirement and downsizing non-core staff to alleviate the financial strain. Superintendent Dr. Maria Su announced in a press conference on April 21 that there will be no need to lay off teachers for the 2025-2026 school year, avoiding a state takeover.
Dr. Su emphasized that “improving student learning outcomes and enhancing the school learning environment” are key to “financial stability,” with her focus on “building confidence for families, making staff feel valued, and ensuring that every student in San Francisco receives a high-quality education.”
“Approximately 85% of the district’s $12 billion budget is allocated to personnel expenses,” Dr. Su stated, highlighting that in order to allocate more resources to classroom instruction, the only solution is to downsize non-core staff, such as central office employees, guidance counselors, and paraeducators.
Currently, 314 district staff members have applied for the Special Early Retirement Program (SERP), many of whom are senior teachers and administrators. The district plans to reduce 205 positions from the nearly 1,000 central office staff, expected to save $34 million in expenses annually. A few years ago, central office expenditures accounted for 25% of the district’s total budget, but after downsizing, it will decrease to 16%, with “84% of the budget” directly benefiting students and campuses.
Dr. Su pledged that every classroom will have a “certificated teacher” to meet the board’s student achievement goals, such as 3rd-grade reading, 8th-grade math, and college and career readiness skills. To achieve this, she urged over a hundred currently non-teaching Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) staff to return to teaching and asked parents and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to hold off on hiring certificated teachers temporarily, allowing the district to fill teacher vacancies first.
This year, Transitional Kindergarten (TK) received over 700 applications, while Kindergarten (K) had more than 150 additional applications compared to last year. Dr. Su expressed enthusiasm about this and plans to expand TK and Kindergarten classes.
In July, the district will transition to using the widely-adopted “Frontline” and “Red Rover” systems.