SFUSD staff recommend aligning parent advisory bodies with LCAP, propose new Asian American and Latinx councils

On Sept. 12 the San Francisco Unified School Districtstaff presented recommendations to reorganize parent advisory structures and improve family engagement. The proposal centers on aligning advisory functions with the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and standardizing operating norms across parent councils.

Marin Trujillo, head of staff, said the districtconducted a review of complaint-handling mechanisms and state-family-engagement requirements and found SFUSD largely in compliance but in need of clearer membership protocols and outreach. Staff recommended transitioning the Parent Advisory Council into a Parent Advisory Committee that would serve the LCAP process and include balanced representation for unduplicated student subgroups (English learners, students receiving free or reduced-price meals, special-education students and foster youth).

The proposal also offered to formally establish two advisory councils by resolution: a Parent Advisory Committee for Asian American families and a Latinx Parent Advisory Council (plus a Q/T advisory body). Staff emphasized co-creation, advising the board to "slow down" and engage existing advisory groups, community-based organizations and school-site councils when developing bylaws, membership selection criteria and operating norms.

Board members and student delegates asked how the new structure would be chosen, how equity of representation would be enforced, and whether the board would vote on any adopted recommendations. Staff replied that membership protocols and bylaws would be developed in partnership with advisory councils and returned for board review; staff committed to more outreach and to present operating procedures and the membership-selection process for review before final implementation.

Several commissioners endorsed aligning advisory work to the LCAP to produce clearer, accountable input into district planning, while also urging stronger staffing for family-engagement functions so community input is actively solicited and followed up. Commissioners stressed that the PAC role previously included historical functions beyond LCAP topics and asked staff to ensure all important community issues would still have a venue for discussion and action.

Staff said they would return with bylaws, membership selection protocols and an engagement timeline intended to operationalize the committee in time to inform the upcoming LCAP cycle.