San Francisco, CA

Where did it go wrong? Here's how San Francisco Unified's issues led to school closures

Published

1 year ago

October 8, 2024

Where did it go wrong? Here's how San Francisco Unified's issues led to school closures

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The San Francisco Unified School District announced Tuesday which schools will have to close due to budget concerns. Now, many are asking at what point did things begin to unravel for a district that was once financially stable.

To understand the chaos throughout San Francisco’s School District, let’s start with the central office, the people who run the day-to-day business operation. At a recent Board of Supervisors meeting information was given on how things are not functioning efficiently.

SFUSD releases list of schools that will potentially close

“All of those systems, they are right now unfortunately run by one or two senior people. They don’t have enough staff there,” said Maria Su, who is on the School Stabilization Team. Su was recently appointed by Mayor London Breed to lead a city team that would help stabilize things at the district.

What we do know is that during the pandemic, some senior staff left or retired.

Susan Saunders, a principal who retired in June 202, told us some of the district’s problems stem from what many refer to as a disconnect between the schools and the central office.

“I think it’s just trust and I think it’s still there, that lack of trust is still there. I think what people at the school sites are asking for is, make us part of the conversation too. Let’s be solution-oriented and work together,” said Saunders.

An example is the lack of information when the district chose to delay the announcement of school closures.

“I think we need to do a better job of explaining our budget crisis and then why school closures fit into our picture of addressing the budget crisis,” said SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

This budget crisis is due, in part, by some families deciding to leave San Francisco Public Schools through the years, meaning schools continue to miss out on millions of dollars from the state.

“We wouldn’t be in this financial crisis if we hadn’t lost so many students. Now, I think a lot of that has to do, as a parent who went through this process, with how long it took to reopen schools after COVID,” said San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen during a recent meeting.

Current Superintendent Matt Wayne was not there at the time, Vincent Matthews was.

Instead of getting schools to reopen safely, some on the school board were focused on other matters they considered important like trying unsuccessfully to rename schools and tearing down historic murals that some deemed insensitive.

Former school board commissioner Gabriela Lopez was one of the school board members eventfully recalled.

SF mayor’s office steps in to help as school district faces $400M budget deficit, closures

“If I could have done anything to make that faster to improve the timeline so that we could ensure schools are safe, I would have but because it was the pandemic and there’s such a bureaucratic process, it’s difficult to make those moves and then we balanced that with the other discussions that were top of mind for a lot of people,” said Lopez.

That delay also hurt the recruitment of teachers, adding to the shortage that already existed.

A San Francisco civil grand jury found that according to 2020-2021 data, “SFUSD does not employ an adequate number of credentialed teachers to afford a quality education to all San Francisco students.” Only 77 percent were credentialed.

Karen Kennard was the foreperson of that grand jury.

“We compared it with all of the Bay Area school districts and the Bay Area district generally have about 82 percent, clean credentialed teachers so San Francisco was lagging behind all of the other school district in the Bay Area except for Alameda,” said Kennard.

Another major revelation, SFUSD administrators were initially tight lipped.

“Their administrators dodged us, refused to return phone calls, refused to return emails and we finally had to go to get the city attorney involved,” said Kennard.

Then came a flawed payroll system that cost the district $35 million and another $20 million to implement a new one which should be up and running by July 2025.

And now the latest example of a mismanaged system is an additional $30 million that was needed to hire more special education teachers for this year. $30 million that was not initially in the budget.

A crisis, that even the district admits, was created by the central office.

“Principals were trying to hire these positions and the budget money was not there,” said School Board President Matt Alexander.

As a result, when schools started last August, the district could not hire the extra special education teachers needed because the funds were not in the budget.

“We failed our students at the beginning of the year,” said Superintendent Wayne to member of the Board of Supervisors.

SFUSD facing 120 teacher vacancies amid looming school closures

The district has since found the money to hire some special education teachers using one time funds, but there are still vacant positions.

Supervisor Ahsha Safai has asked the city controller to investigate the matter.

“We need to know who made that decision and who broke the law on behalf of the school district because there needs to be accountability,” said Safai.

Now, also unsettling is the city’s proposal to use $8.4 million left over from the Student Success Fund, to begin stabilizing the district.

That did not sit well with some members of the Board of Supervisors.

“That money is supposed to be used to get students achieving academically and healthy in their minds, body and spirit and the precedent that that is setting, is scaring the life out of me,” said Supervisor Ronen.

But Su suggested that that money would go toward hiring much-needed paraprofessionals and helping families whose schools will be closing.

“Could we use some of these dollars to support schools and young people, children and families who are going to transition from a closed school to a welcoming school. I feel all of these things fall within the scope of the student success fund,” said Su.

The question now is how can families ever trust the district to finally get things right?

“We’re working incredibly hard to rebuild the trust with our community. So I think we’re doing what we can to lay out, here is the situation we’re facing and let’s work through it together,” said Dr. Wayne.

“And more importantly how do we never get to this place ever again,” said Su.

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San Francisco, CA

Animal control locates mountain lion in San Francisco

Published

9 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Animal control locates mountain lion in San Francisco

A young mountain lion that was spotted Monday night in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood has been located, city officials said.

Around 6:20 a.m. Tuesday, city officials said San Francisco Animal Care and Control found the mountain lion and that they are working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage the situation. No injuries were reported.

A biologist is on their way to the scene, with the plan to tranquilize the animal and move it to a suitable location, officials said.

The mountain lion was first reported Monday night after being seen near Octavia Street and Pacific Avenue, according to an alert from the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

Animal Care and Control officials said experts believe the animal is about a year old. It had also been seen earlier Monday morning near Lafayette Park, just a few blocks from the later sighting.

City officials said the mountain lion was likely lost and may have been trying to move south out of the city.

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Unified educators nearing final days for vote on whether to strike

Published

21 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

San Francisco Unified educators nearing final days for vote on whether to strike

After months of back and forth between educators and the San Francisco school district, Georgie Gibbs is ready to strike.

“But every year we have to figure out what staffing we’re going to have at our school, and every year there’s less money to staff our site, and that’s hard,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs is an elementary school teacher and a member of the United Educators of San Francisco, a union for school staff. Since March, they’ve requested higher wages, stable health insurance, and more support for special education teachers.

“At our site, we have special day classes which are self-contained, special education classrooms, and those, one of our classrooms has not had a full-time teacher for a whole entire year in three years,” Gibbs said.

In their latest offer in January, the district proposed the following three-year stabilization plan.

The district proposed a path to fully funded family health benefits, a 6 percent raise over three years, along with addressing staffing shortages for special education. The union rejected it.

Identifying a fiscal pathway for the District to fully fund family health benefits
6% raise over three years (2% each year for next three years)
Salary rate augmentations for hard-to-staff special education paraeducators
Solutions to address special education workload with a focused pilot program

Union president Cassandra Curiel says members are casting their final round of votes for a strike.

“The district hasn’t changed their position since May of 2025. That is an untenable condition for us to be in,” Curiel said.
If both groups don’t come to an agreement, the union’s more than 6,000 members will strike for the first time in nearly 50 years.

“Being in our schools is the place we want to be, but working for San Francisco Unified can be complicated at best,” Curiel said.

Officials say the district is planning for more budget cuts in the next school year, which plays a role in negotiations.

A spokesperson for the district wrote:

“We know many of you are closely following the ongoing negotiations between our district and United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

We are disappointed to share that we did not reach an agreement with UESF after today’s fact-finding session (part of the formal bargaining process). SFUSD remains committed to negotiating in good faith with our labor partners and to reaching an agreement that honors our educators while also balancing the need to be fiscally responsible.

Our goal is to have a stable district. We want to reach an agreement that supports our valued educators. However, we must also be able to afford the agreement long-term so that we can continue serving students now and in the future.”

Havah Kelley told CBS News Bay Area that her son, who has a learning disability, was transferred outside of the district because there aren’t enough special needs teachers.

“Especially since COVID, the high teacher turnover, the shortages, and just a myriad of other reasons, he was not getting the services that he needed,” Kelley said.

That experience makes her feel a strike is necessary, but she knows there would be real-life consequences.

“It would be ideal if we could avoid a strike. That’s a definite, and I’m not going to say otherwise,” Kelly said. “Any type of disruption, for our kids, we have almost immediate regression.”

Union members are holding their final vote to authorize a strike. If the majority votes yes, it is likely SFUSD educators will strike for the first time since 1979. The last day to vote is Jan. 28.

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San Francisco, CA

The 14 Best San Francisco Hotels

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

In town for the big game or a quick getaway, resorts like The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay are perfect places to huddle.

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

When the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks kick off Super Bowl LX on February 8, football fans’ eyes will be fixed on Levi’s Stadium. While the action takes place on the turf in Santa Clara, the real pre- and post-game celebrations will happen more than 40 miles away in San Francisco.

Whether you are flying in to catch the big game or are planning a getaway to coincide with the Super Bowl’s 60th anniversary festivities, finding the right home base is a key play for the weekend.

To discover the best hotels in San Francisco, Forbes Travel Guide’s incognito inspectors posed as ordinary guests and stayed multiple nights at each property. The inspectors tested hundreds of exacting standards, with an emphasis on exceptional service, which accounts for 70% of a property’s rating. The remaining 30% comes from the quality and condition of the facilities. FTG does not require a business relationship from the properties it rates, and it does not earn a commission if you book one of the following hotels.

Five-Star Hotels in San Francisco

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Sitting atop a dramatic bluff, The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay gives you a beautiful coastal setting, verdant golf courses, ocean-view dining and impeccably warm service about 20 miles south of San Francisco International Airport.

With a robust calendar of outdoor activities (golf, guided hikes) and indoor pursuits (baking classes, a Four-Star spa), any time is a great time for a romantic getaway at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. See more.

The St. Regis San Francisco has a timeless elegance.

The St. Regis San Francisco

Since opening in 2005, The St. Regis San Francisco has been refining the concept of luxury, retaining the detail-oriented service focus and continuing its legacy of timeless elegance.

Get a taste of the hotel’s sophisticated vibe during Tini Tuesday at the legendary St. Regis Bar. Guests are invited to craft their perfect martini, set to a soundtrack of live jazz provided by Conservatory students. See more.

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco offers posh lodging and a prime location.

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

Four-Star Hotels in San Francisco

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

San Francisco does not experience four distinct seasons — it’s pretty mild no matter when you visit. Likewise, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco provides posh lodgings all year long.

If you want to sightsee by day and live in luxury by night, it’s hard to beat this property sitting just minutes from Union Square, Chinatown and other city attractions. See more.

This NoCal property certainly makes a luxurious splash.

Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto

Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto is ideally situated for both business and relaxation. Step into the intimate lobby, and you’ll notice it feels smart and modern with a lush color scheme, digital art and an inviting, cozy vibe.

The hotel makes the most of its Northern California location by regularly pairing Napa Valley’s top wine producers with seasonal four-course menus at signature eatery, Quattro. See more.

Spots like Feinstein’s and Kanpai Lounge are great for cocktails.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco

The ultra-modern Hotel Nikko San Francisco is in downtown San Francisco, just blocks from Union Square. The luxury address has a sleek, modern design style. Asian touches throughout, including a stream of flowing water greeting guests in the lobby, help create an initial Zen atmosphere.

For a true Bay Area introduction, be sure to visit Kanpai Lounge for a new cocktail program inspired by the city’s landmarks and neighborhoods. Explore The Mission features tequila, G.E. Massenez bird’s-eye chili liqueur, lime and hibiscus mango while Coit Tower consists of rye whiskey, Fernet-Branca, pineapple gomme and ginger beer. See more.

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has been a standout for more than a century.

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

Even the most blasé traveler will be impressed by this stately mansion atop Nob Hill. Built in 1909 as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has maintained its palatial polish, preserving its neoclassical façade while offering a renovated modern-classic haven inside.

And even more than a 100 years later, there are still new things to celebrate: The Lounge was included on Forbes Travel Guide’s inaugural list of Star Bars. See more.

Taj Campton Place is a beautiful distraction in the busy city.

Taj Campton Place

Taj Campton Place fits into the rolling cityscape of San Francisco and is just one block away from Union Square. The prime location allows convenient access to the city’s many art galleries and museums, and the 110-room boutique hotel offers a quaint respite from the busy city.

A recent renovation breathed new life into the hotel’s beloved dining outlets. Campton Bar + Bistro infuses American bistro-style cuisine with Indian flair. Meanwhile, Bombay Brasserie, led by chef Thomas George, serves Indian cuisine with a French accent. See more.

Have a customized stay at The Clement Palo Alto.

The Clement Palo Alto

Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Hotels in San Francisco

The Clement Palo Alto

The all-inclusive hotel of the future, where everything is customized to your individual preference and a personal chef and concierge come standard, has arrived with The Clement Palo Alto.

The hotel strives to be a home away from home and invites you to think of the shared spaces — a living room, library and kitchen — as your own. Here, you won’t ever have to lift a finger — unless it’s to pick up a fork while you’re eating at the Dining Room. See more.

The staffers are the stars at Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero.

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero

Walking into the intimate lobby of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero is like entering a sleek sanctuary. The bustle of downtown fades away in the quiet round room filled with white marble, bright lighting and a pleasant aroma.

Friendly staff members stand ready to check you in, help with your luggage or anything else you may need. This includes providing curated city guides that offer insider recommendations for self-guided tasting tours of the Ferry Building, tailored shopping suggestions and a map illustrated by artist Tanu Vasu that highlights the best local spots. See more.

Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights is a chic, comfortable escape.

Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights

Everything about Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights, from the understated elegance of its Edwardian heritage to the spacious bathrooms with heated floors, is chic, sophisticated and comfortable.

Daily rituals like the evening wine reception (local pours are paired with elevated light bites) accentuate the former boarding house’s welcoming warmth. See more.

JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square is a colorful delight near all the popular sights.

JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square

JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square is a colorful and urbane hotel just steps from San Francisco’s bustling Financial District, the Embarcadero and other popular stops.

But beyond its ideal location, the property delivers top cuisine (Level III Restaurant), creative cocktails (Level III Bar) and a sleek space to work on your cardio (a state-of-the-art fitness center).

Omni San Francisco Hotel’s lobby is a throwback to a grander time.

Omni San Francisco Hotel

In the busy Financial District, Omni San Francisco Hotel feels like a throwback to a simpler, grander time. The cheerful doorman smiles warmly and helps you with your things. The front desk attendant graciously meets you at the bottom of the glamorous wrought-iron staircase. It’s all so beautiful and calming that even the most harried person will feel relaxed. See more.

Saturday tea (or breakfast any day of the week) is always special here.

Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco

When you walk up the stairs at downtown’s Palace Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, the first thing you’ll notice are the elaborate wrought-iron doors with ornate hand-painted gold details.

Just beyond those touches is something even more breathtaking: the hotel’s Garden Court. A grand ballroom with marble columns, glass ceilings and chandeliers that date to the late 1800s, the Garden Court is the hotel’s energetic hub. Such grand surroundings provide the ideal backdrop for the Saturday tea, served for the last century.

For a memorable dinner, visit the wood-paneled Pied Piper (named for the famous Maxfield Parrish mural behind the bar) for seasonal, California dishes and exceptional drinks. See more.

San Francisco Proper Hotel exudes Old World charm and modern flair.

San Francisco Proper Hotel

The flagship property of the Proper brand, San Francisco Proper Hotel showcases celebrity interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s sophisticated style. The hotel resides in a historic flatiron building that dates to 1904, and its Old World charm is juxtaposed with sleek, modern accents.

The trendy atmosphere of the hotel extends beyond the guest rooms to its two dining venues. Villon, which is also designed by Wearstler, serves contemporary California cuisine for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. Meanwhile, the atmospheric rooftop lounge, Charmaine’s, offers small plates, bubbles and bold cocktails. See more.

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