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SFUSD Superintendent Focuses on Special Education Improvements
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San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) superintendent Maria Su is making special education a key focus after a challenging first year marked by budget deficits and eroded family trust. Following a special education fiasco that left nearly 200 students without required services and teachers at the start of the school year, costing the district over $1.18 million, Su is prioritizing improvements and strategic resource allocation.
Superintendent Su’s Plan for Special Education
Superintendent Su aims to review and survey all SFUSD facilities to determine which can be converted into transitional kindergarten classrooms or used to serve special education students. This initiative is part of a broader effort to address the district’s future needs, potentially including school mergers and closures, which will be persistent later [1].
Did You Know? SFUSD is unique in San Francisco’s geographic area as the only district without county-operated special education programs,potentially missing opportunities to serve students in less restrictive environments.
Financial Considerations and Legal Challenges
SFUSD faces significant financial pressures related to special education. In addition to transportation costs, the district pays for private school tuition, case managers who act as liaisons between SFUSD and Non-Public Schools (NPS), and settlements resulting from lawsuits over inadequate services. According to Havah Kelley, a parent within the district, lawsuits often arise when parents feel their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and allotted services are insufficient.
Currently, approximately 400 special education students within the district’s region are enrolled in private or parochial schools at SFUSD’s expense. The district’s recent special education missteps are projected to cost over $1.18 million to cover unmet services, legal fees, and additional resources to rectify the situation and compensate affected families.
Pro Tip: Parents who disagree with the IEP can seek support from organizations like Special Education Access, which provides guidance and resources to families of disabled children in San francisco.
FCMAT‘s Recommendations for SFUSD
A review by FCMAT, a financial company assisting California districts with financial management, suggests SFUSD assess the possibility of shifting students from NPS programs to district or county-operated classes that provide similar services. FCMAT Executive Director Mike Fine noted that SFUSD’s lack of differentiation in special education programs might cause the district to miss opportunities to meet students’ needs in less restrictive environments, such as district or county classes, instead of more expensive NPS placements.
FCMAT analyst Carolynne Beno told SFUSD’s board of education in March that creating programs with different class size ratios and specialist support could allow the district to serve more students within district programs rather than relying on non-public schools.
According to FCMAT, SFUSD could potentially bring back a significant number of students from NPS, resulting in substantial savings. Though, the specifics of this analysis are beyond FCMAT’s current scope.
| expense Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Private School Tuition | Costs associated with placing special education students in private or parochial schools when SFUSD cannot provide adequate services. |
| Case Managers | Salaries and expenses for SFUSD employees who serve as liaisons between the district and NPS schools. |
| Legal Settlements | Payments to families who have sued the district over its inability to provide adequate special education services. |
| Unmet Services (2025 Fiasco) | Costs to cover services not provided to nearly
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