NOVEMBER 2024 VOTER GUIDE
YES ON PROP A
Schools Improvement and Safety Bond
ENDORSE-O-METER SAYS: STRONG YES
This $790 million bond provides much-needed money to finance critical repairs and improvements for San Francisco public schools, which the school district can’t fund at the moment due to its budget deficit. The money from this bond can fix school buildings, but it needs to be paired with strong leadership and direction from the Board of Education to fix SFUSD’s larger issues. We’re voting yes on Proposition A because without dedicated funding for repairs and improvements, SFUSD will fall even further behind other Bay Area school districts, leading to disastrous long-term consequences.
The Context
San Francisco’s public schools are in crisis, facing a $420 million dollar budget deficit if nothing is done, brought on by years of declining enrollment and an inefficient use of resources. On top of that, many schools are literally crumbling and are in dire need of repair. This $790 million bond is put forth by SFUSD to help finance critical improvements to SFUSD facilities and infrastructure.
School officials are concerned that if these facilities aren’t repaired and modernized, educational conditions will get even worse, spelling long-term problems for the school district. If this measure doesn’t pass, SFUSD will have to rely on funds from SFUSD’s general fund for repairs, and given the massive deficit the district faces, that’s completely unrealistic. San Francisco needs to have clean, modern schools to bring students back to the district. This bond measure provides the funding to make that happen.
The Money
This money focuses on repairs and improvements that were deferred from a previous 2016 school bond measure, including a “complete security suite” at every school site; upgrades to bathrooms, electrical systems, roofing, and windows; and a new central hub for student meals that will allow schools to provide better quality meals for less money. Important to note: this bond will not raise taxes, it just maintains existing property taxes from the 2016 school bond.
Money from this bond will be managed and distributed by the district’s Bond Programs Office. If you’re worried about the Board of Education’s history of reckless spending on ineffective programs, this money won’t be touched by the school board.
Most importantly, though, funds from this bond will not go toward school sites that are being proposed for closure through the district’s Resource Alignment Initiative—so, these bond dollars would be spent on schools that have decades of use ahead of them.
If this bond is approved, here’s what we’d spend the money on:
$410 million for large construction projects at existing school sites, focused on long-lasting buildings, modernized classrooms, upgraded restrooms and brightened corridors
$225 million to create a new central food hub for Student Nutrition Services to ensure food security and healthy meals for students. Will also improve school kitchens and dining spaces
$95 million for targeted investments to fix basic needs like restrooms, water leaks, lighting and electrical outlets
$35 million for technology upgrades for more reliable network coverage
$15 million for school security, including better communications systems and keyless entryways
$10 million for improved schoolyards
Support & Opposition
This bond is absolutely vital for a functional school system, so there’s literally no organized opposition. Supporters include the Board of Education, SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne, the Chamber of Commerce, every mayoral candidate, and members of the Board of Supervisors.
Supporting
SF Bay Guardian, SF League of Pissed Off Voters, GrowSF, SF Tenants Union, SF Housing Action Coalition, SF Labor Council, SEIU 1021, SF Women’s Political Committee, League of Women Voters of SF, District 11 Democratic Club, Potrero Hill Democratic Club, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, United Democratic Club, Edwin M. Lee Asian Pacific Democratic Club, Bernal Heights Democratic Club, Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club, Noe Valley Democratic Club
Opposing
SF Green Party, SF Republican Party
Other Organizations That Share Our Endorsement: The Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, and the United Democratic Club.
Paid for by TogetherSF Action. Not authorized by any candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.