The Facts

In a Chronicle Open Forum essay, SFUSD teacher John Lisovsky argues the district’s new labor deal makes school closures (or mergers) inevitable.

The fundamental reality is that the Union's demands can't be paid for without closing and consolidating schools. SFUSD and the union agreed to compensation increases amounting to about 6% raises in each of the next two years (2% + 2%, plus added paid work days amounting to a 5-6% raise) for certificated staff, and an 8.5% package over two years for classified staff, and fully funded family healthcare beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

The Context

SFUSD’s biggest revenue source is state funding, and the district expected about $648 million in 2025–26, but this funding is tied to student attendance numbers.

But SFUSD says enrollment has fallen by 4,000+ since 2012–13. When students leave, dollars leave — yet the cost of operating a campus (maintenance, utilities, admin, baseline staffing) doesn’t shrink proportionally. That’s how you get a “structural deficit”: higher cost per student, even before any new raises.

SFUSD has warned it remains in a structural deficit. Add higher ongoing compensation obligations, and the district has two options: (1) consolidate buildings and overhead, or (2) cut directly into classrooms through layoffs and larger class sizes.

The GrowSF Take

No one wants closures — but “keep everything open” isn’t a viable plan. SFUSD should restart a transparent consolidation plan (after it paused closures for 2025–26) and commit, in writing, that savings will protect classroom quality and stabilize staffing.