SFUSD board adopts civil grand jury response and forms ethics ad hoc committee

At the Sept. 12 meeting the San Francisco Board of Education approved two formal actions following public discussion and staff presentations.

First, the board voted to submit a revised response to a civil grand jury report that had investigated district staffing and related issues. The board instructed staff to remove the phrase "to the extent possible" from the draft response and to add language committing the district to follow the jury's recommendations; the motion also directed the superintendent to report back on implementation by the end of the 2023-24 school year. A roll-call vote recorded seven yes votes and the response will be finalized and submitted by the Sept. 14 deadline.

Second, the board voted unanimously to form an ad hoc subcommittee to review and recommend edits to the boards ethics and conflicts-of-interest policy. The ad hoc membership named Commissioner Alexander as chair, with Commissioners Lam and Vice President Wiseman Ward as members. The board set a target completion date for the committee of Jan. 31, 2024 and asked it to return with suggested edits and an implementation timeline; staff and general counsel will support the group to ensure legal compliance with city ethics ordinances and state law.

Both votes were taken by roll call; no amendments to either motion were adopted on the floor. The actions close the meeting's formal business and set specific board-directed follow-up steps.