SFUSD’s First Day: A Smooth Start for 49,000 Students

After years of chaos, steady leadership put teachers in classrooms and payroll on track.

The Facts

Under new Superintendent Maria Su, SFUSD opened the school year smoothly for 49,000 students. Teachers were in classrooms, the payroll system was functioning, and families could focus on learning instead of uncertainty.

More than 95 percent of classrooms had a qualified teacher on day one. That’s not perfect—families deserve 100 percent—but it’s a big improvement from last year, when vacancies were nearly double.

This year also marked the first school opening since the district rolled out its new payroll system. After years of failures, it’s now running at 97 percent accuracy, with most issues resolved quickly. Not flawless, but far better than the disaster that once left educators unpaid for months.

The Context

This smoother start is a clear break from SFUSD’s recent past. Between 2020 and 2024, families endured school renaming fights, algebra controversies, and a $35 million payroll meltdown that required an emergency response team. First days often brought hundreds of vacancies and substitutes scrambling to cover classrooms.

What makes this year especially notable is that it came despite $114 million in budget cuts—about 10 percent of total spending. By streamlining back-office operations and prioritizing teacher hiring, the district put more educators in classrooms with fewer resources.

The GrowSF Take

Families don’t need drama, they need schools that run smoothly. This year’s start shows that when SFUSD focuses on basics—teachers in classrooms, paychecks on time, budgets under control—students win.

That progress is only possible because voters elected a common-sense school board majority that chose competence over chaos. To keep moving forward, we need to protect that majority in next year’s elections.