SFUSD to Issue Layoff Notices After Strike
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is preparing to issue 42 preliminary layoff notices just one week after settling a teachers' strike with a $183 million agreement. The district faces significant budget pressures from declining enrollment and new labor costs. The move highlights broader fiscal challenges for the city's public sector.
- The district is grappling with a projected $102 million budget deficit for the 2026-27 school year, a persistent issue that has placed it under state oversight. This structural deficit exists even after the district cut $114 million from its $1.4 billion budget last year. - The new two-year agreement with the teachers union, United Educators of San Francisco, is valued at approximately $183 million. Key provisions include a 5% raise for teachers over two years, an 8.5% raise for paraprofessionals, and fully funded family healthcare coverage by the start of 2027. - The recent walkout was the first teachers' strike in San Francisco in nearly 50 years, with the last major strike occurring in 1979. That strike lasted for six weeks. - Declining student enrollment is a primary driver of the financial strain, as state funding is tied to attendance. Enrollment has dropped by approximately 4,000 students since the 2019-20 school year, and current enrollment of 48,306 is below the projected 49,468. Projections indicate a further decline of 4,600 students by 2032. - While 42 preliminary layoff notices are being issued to teachers, this is a significant reduction from the 298 notices sent out in the previous year. District officials attribute the lower number to the use of temporary teaching contracts and improved data systems for tracking vacancies. - In a similar situation in May 2025, the district was able to rescind 151 layoff notices that had been issued to counselors and teachers' aides after confirming the necessary funding with state officials.
