April 2022 Announcement

SFUSD has been working since the Fall of 2020 to develop a set of elementary school zones for our new student assignment policy. The work is incredibly complex, and requires SFUSD to get it right for our students, families, and schools. 

We have held numerous events to gather feedback from the community, and have been working for months with San Francisco families, City agencies, members of the public, and academic researchers on developing zone maps that meet our policy goals of diversity, proximity, and predictability. 

Because of the complexity of developing zone maps, our community members and working partners have asked that we take more time on this important step in the process. In response to this feedback, we reevaluated our policy implementation timeline.

In order for us to successfully implement the new assignment policy and get it right for our students, families, and schools, SFUSD has decided to extend the implementation timeline by one year to 2025-26.

At the April 28, 2022 Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment, staff shared their plan to extend the timeline of policy implementation by one year. That means that students entering elementary school in 2025-2026 will be the first group to apply and enroll under the new policy. This includes students who are new to SFUSD and also currently enrolled TK-5 students who want to change schools.

SFUSD recognizes that the work to develop and implement all the necessary changes to successfully realize the Board’s new elementary school student assignment policy, including zone maps, is incredibly complex, and we have a responsibility to do it well for our students, families, and schools.

Instead of rushing through the process, SFUSD will take an additional year to hear from families and the community; partner with City departments; design, build, and implement technical systems and enrollment processes that are simple and easy to use for families; and dedicate resources to ensure that all our students have equitable access to great educational experiences in all schools.

The extended timeline also means that SFUSD can more thoughtfully engage with families and community partners on developing zone maps. We plan to share draft zone maps with the public during the upcoming 2022-23 school year. 

SFUSD looks forward to continuing our partnerships with San Francisco families, City departments, and academic researchers to implement a new elementary student assignment system that meets our policy goals of diversity, proximity, and predictability.

Please visit our website for updates and announcements of future events: sfusd.edu/studentassignment.