SFUSD Preparing Bond Measure for March 2024 Ballot

San Francisco (September 8, 2023) - The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is preparing to introduce a general obligation bond to the SF Board of Education for consideration and placement on the March 5, 2024 ballot. 

District staff will present an outline of the proposed general obligation bond measure at the Sept. 12, 2023 Board of Education regular meeting. The measure is being designed to build on prior successes of voter-approved bond measures in 2003, 2006, 2011, and 2016 by enhancing safety and creating conditions for modern learning and improved daily experiences for all San Francisco public school students.

In 2022, the SFUSD Facilities Department conducted a facilities condition assessment of 148 properties owned by SFUSD, which informed the creation of the Facilities Master Plan (FMP). The FMP identifies immediate and future capital facilities needs and new approaches for creating healthy and safe physical school environments. It estimates SFUSD’s overall facility capital maintenance backlog at $6 billion.

The FMP identified emerging priorities to create safe, modern, and comfortable SFUSD schools. These priorities informed the investment categories for the district’s anticipated 2024 bond measure: school modernization, core comfort improvements, enhancing student dining spaces and options, technology and network investments, schoolyard outdoor learning, and school site security upgrades. The bond amount is expected to be in the range of $950 million - $1.2 billion, which represents a significant capital improvement program, though only a fraction of the overall need.

“We are fortunate to live in a city where people care about what happens in our public schools, whether or not they have children attending them,” Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne said. “SFUSD is using a data-driven approach to recommend investments for improving student outcomes. We look forward to receiving input from our schools as to how we can deliver on our collective goal of providing safe and welcoming spaces for students to learn and thrive.”

Concurrently, as part of SFUSD’s effort to align resources to improve student outcomes, the district will also explore opportunities to leverage its property to generate more value for SFUSD students.

High Performance Track Record with Previous Bonds

SFUSD maintains an excellent track record with its current and previous bond programs. SFUSD’s debt burden and tax rates are relatively low when compared to other large school districts in the state. SFUSD spends down bonds efficiently and general obligation bond tax rates have always been lower than what was presented to voters in the bond measure at election time.

Next Steps

Over the next several months, the district will conduct outreach to school communities to receive feedback on the proposed bond measure. Staff will share a recap of this feedback with the Board of Education in November, along with a report on bond planning and a final bond measure resolution. The Board of Education is tasked with voting on a resolution to determine the size and content of the bond before it is placed before voters. School bond ballot measures for the March 5, 2024 election are due to the SF Department of Elections on Dec. 8.

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