Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy has been included on a list of proposed closures/mergers. Our community stands against this decision and will be making our voices heard before the San Francisco Board of Education votes on schools to close in December. Please stand with us!
Rally to Save our School!
Wednesday, October 16th from 2:30-4pm
4235 19th Street between Collingwood and Diamond Streets
Dr. Wayne will be visiting us to discuss this closure and hear our concerns this Wednesday, October 16th from 4-6pm. Please see his letter for more details.
We’re organizing a rally in front of the school on October 16th from 2:30 – 4:00 PM (and beyond!) to show Dr. Wayne and the district that we will not stand by while our school is threatened. Please come with your energy, your signs, your noise and your children and help make it clear that closing Harvey Milk and all schools is a mistake.
Resistance ToolKit
- Stop School Closures Calendar – Events relating to stopping school closures including webinars, public meetings and other school meetings.
- Talking points in favor of HMCRA specifically and anti closure in general (courtesy of San Francisco Community School) – Spanish version coming soon.
- Letter template to elected officials opposing school closures (2 page doc)
What You Need to Know
A Brief Overview of SFUSD’s Budget Crisis and School Closures Plan
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is facing a significant budget crisis that has led to difficult decisions about school closures. This situation arises from a combination of factors, including declining enrollment and rising costs, which have strained the district’s finances. As a result, SFUSD is considering closing several schools to cut expenses and redirect funds to support the remaining schools and students more effectively. This decision has sparked concerns among parents, teachers, and students, who worry about the impact on their communities and the loss of educational opportunities. School closures historically disproportionately affect students of color and other marginalized communities.
Many parents feel that SFUSD has not instilled confidence in the school closure process, citing a lack of transparent communication and community engagement in decision-making.
The proposed school closures arise from ongoing enrollment declines and a $420 million budget deficit that the San Francisco Unified School District must address to avoid a state takeover from California’s Department of Education fiscal management team. While the district’s plan to close schools is being billed as a cost-saving measure, the district’s own enrollment director has stated that monetary savings “are not projected to be significant.”
The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) strongly opposes school closures, arguing that such actions harm students, disrupt communities, and undermine the quality of education in the district. Teachers are frustrated due to ongoing issues with hiring and clerical errors that left nearly $30 million off the special education budget, along with a shortage of 250 federally mandated special education positions.
The school board is scheduled to vote on a proposed school closure plan in December, which will be a critical moment in determining the future of several schools within the district.
What has been happening in recent months?
- Superintendent Matt Wayne is facing significant criticism for several serious reasons. He has delayed announcing his plan to cut $100 million from the SFUSD budget, which will include major staffing reductions as well as the closure of several SFUSD schools. With an annual enrollment fair and admissions season approaching, these decisions need to be made public as soon as possible so that staff and students can prepare for the necessary changes.
- Former school board leader Lainie Motamedi recently resigned and later explained her decision: “she felt frustration and exhaustion, and her health had deteriorated, knowing that the layers of dysfunction she and others observed in the San Francisco Unified School District were fixable, yet they continued to fester and multiply under Wayne’s leadership.”
- The crisis is such that Mayor London Breed has sent in a special task force to “rescue” SFUSD.
- Supervisors have also grilled Wayne about the district’s budget crisis, which will require cuts of more than $100 million next year, in addition to cuts already made that have reduced staffing levels by more than 1,000 positions.
- The upcoming school board elections in San Francisco are set to play a crucial role in shaping the district’s future, as candidates will address pressing issues such as budget management, school closures, and the overall quality of education.
Why we think small schools like HMCRA should stay open
Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy is a unique and vibrant school that emphasizes inclusivity, diversity, and social justice. Our school aims to create a safe and supportive environment for all students, particularly those from LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities. One of our core missions is to promote understanding and respect for different identities, fostering a sense of belonging among its students and families.
We were designed to be a small school. Small schools in cities like San Francisco offer unique advantages that can enhance the educational experience for students and foster stronger community ties. They can often provide a more personalized learning environment, allowing for closer relationships between teachers and students. Not every child can thrive in 500-600 student environments. Small schools are often safer spaces for LGBTQIA+ students, students who are neurodivergent, and other students who are targeted for bullying.
Small schools can adapt more quickly to the needs of their communities, promoting a sense of belonging and engagement among families. HMCRA has made itself integral to the local community of the Castro over the years, as families pour into local businesses and play at Eureka Valley Rec Center daily.
Our newly renovated, $14M facility, makes it one of the best conditioned facilities in the district. Closing the school and making it so our facility is no longer a place for public school children would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and would not be providing the best at our disposal for students.
Our school is just one example of a unique, small school community in the district, but we believe every school deserves the opportunity to thrive and it is the district’s responsibility to ensure that it is serving all students.
What you can do to help
We urge you to make your voices heard! Here are some ways you can help our school:
- Send comments of support to the San Francisco Board of Education and ask them to vote NO on closing schools at this time. Urge the board to pressure the district to devise a sound plan to solve the budget crisis before they decide to close schools: boardoffice@sfusd.edu
- Reach out to District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and ask that he advocate for HMCRA: mandelmanstaff@sfgov.org
- Keep educating yourself and make an informed decision about your vote for school board members in November.
- Join us for organized events in the coming weeks to support our school!