San Francisco Unified begins school year facing enrollment challenges

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As thousands of San Francisco public school students prepare to return to class Monday, district leaders say they are entering the new school year with a balanced budget but still face long-term challenges tied to declining enrollment.

In an interview ahead of the start of the academic year, Superintendent Maria Su discussed the district's finances, student enrollment and policies affecting families.

One policy already in place across San Francisco Unified School District campuses is the restriction of cellphone use during class hours.

While individual schools are allowed to determine how the rule is enforced, the districtwide expectation is clear.

"So the principal decides how they want to implement the policy but the policy is that there are no cell phone usage during classes," Su said.

The policy initially prompted concerns from some parents who worried about losing direct access to their children during the school day.

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"Change is hard and initially I think there was some concern from families about just, well, what does it mean when I can't access, I can't connect with my child, or my students and what we say to families is you can always call the principal," Su said.

Su, who became superintendent in late 2024, said stabilizing the district's finances has been a major focus following years of budget challenges.

"Yes, so...it has been a struggle..." Su said when asked about the district's financial condition.

She said the district recently achieved a significant milestone by approving a balanced financial plan.

"But I am so proud to say that with this board and with our entire school community we were, in June, able to pass a three-year balanced budget with a very healthy reserve," Su said.

Even with that progress, declining enrollment remains a concern because state funding is tied largely to student attendance.

The issue has generated questions about the district's decision to open a new school in the growing Mission Bay neighborhood despite enrollment declines elsewhere.

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Su said the school fulfills a commitment made to the community as the neighborhood developed.

"We made a promise, we, the larger city we, made a promise to that neighborhood that as they were growing that we were going to ensure that there was a public education institution available for the families that were going to move into that neighborhood," she said.

The land for the school was donated by UCSF with the condition that a school be constructed on the site.

School consolidation remains a sensitive topic within the district.

A previous proposal to close and merge schools generated significant controversy before the departure of the district's former superintendent.

Su said any future discussions about campus consolidations should follow reforms to the district's enrollment system, which families have criticized as overly complex.

"We've heard from families that our enrollment process needs to be easier, it has to be simple and I've said this before, the front door has to be really wide open and easy for families to come into our district," Su said.

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She also expressed optimism that continued housing development and new educational programs could help attract more families to city schools.

"Every single year we're keeping a very close eye on the number of children that San Francisco has, families that are moving in. The mayor and the city is doing a really great job in building family housing so that we can have more people come and live in the city and when that happens, then hopefully these families are going to enroll in our schools," Su said.

Asked whether relying on future population growth is a sufficient strategy, Su pointed to signs that families respond when the district offers programs they value.

"But we're seeing the trend, we're seeing the trend where if we create programs that families want then families will come," she said.

Still, Su acknowledged that enrollment realities may ultimately require difficult decisions.

"And yes, at the end of the day, if we do not have enough families in certain schools, we're going to then engage in those types of conversations about being creative about mergers or other things," she said.

As the new school year begins Monday, district officials say their focus remains on maintaining financial stability, simplifying enrollment and attracting more students to San Francisco's public schools.