Early budget proposals shared with school staff and obtained by Mission Local show that the San Francisco school district is considering significant cuts to plug a $113 million deficit, including laying off security guards and school counselors, eliminating middle school health programs, reducing social workers and cutting the school day by one period. 

The proposed cuts come after Superintendent Maria Su said during last month’s school board meeting that school closures are back on the table as a way to “stabilize” the budget. 

The cuts were presented to school principals at a meeting last month. One principal attending the meeting described the proposal, which will be presented to the school board on Dec. 9, as “detrimental” to students and staff, and the teachers’ union has also raised alarms.

“We were not consulted at all,” said Frank Lara, the vice president of the United Educators of San Francisco. The union is in the middle of contract negotiations, and teachers are expected to vote overwhelmingly on Wednesday to move forward with a potential strike.  

“Our biggest concern is that they’re not having a public discussion,” Lara said. “This decision is being made solely by a cabinet that is the most disconnected in SFUSD history.” 

No final decisions have been made, “but closing a deficit of this size will require difficult tradeoffs,” said Laura Dudnick, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Unified School District. “Due to difficult decisions made last year, including $114 million in cuts, we have begun to reverse course. However, we are in the second year of our fiscal stabilization plan and must remain disciplined.” 

The school district’s budget would need the approval of the school board, which will vote in June 2026.

The proposed cuts, according to slides reviewed by Mission Local, include the following: 

Eliminating health and wellness programs at middle schools 

Cutting security staff by 50 percent

Moving to a six-period day from seven periods

Eliminating social workers at schools, except at schools receiving federal anti-poverty funding

Reducing funding allocated toward underserved students, including English-language learners and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds

The district is also considering ending the school bus program for students who do not receive special education, according to a well-placed source.

Ryan Alias, an English teacher at Balboa High School, is concerned that cutting the school day by a period would mean consolidating teachers and subsequently laying off staff.

The six-period day was standard across the district two years ago. Alias helped test and implement the seven-day period at Balboa, and said it has been instrumental for English-learning students and others who require additional time and support.

The extra period allows students to take AP classes, language support, electives, and ethnic studies. The latter is a statewide mandate. 

“It’s a lot,” said a district principal regarding the proposed layoffs, which could include security guards, school counselors, social workers, and nurses, and school-wide changes. “I’m hoping that what we’re seeing is the worst-case scenario before it gets operationalized.” 

The proposals to cut security come in the wake of a shooting at Burton High School. On Tuesday, security staff worked with San Francisco police officers to secure the school and arrest the suspect after a student was shot in the leg.

One day prior to the shooting, a district principal warned that reducing security staff and counselors would impact the safety of students. “There’s a level of violence among young people right now,” she said. “I’m concerned about losing mental health staff and safety staff.”