SFUSD superintendent outlines payroll emergency response as staff and teachers report missed pay and lost benefits

San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne told the Board of Education on Dec. 13 that the district has prioritized fixing payroll and benefits problems tied to the Empower SF payroll rollout, but staff and union speakers at the meeting said many employees still face lost pay and inaccessible health or retirement benefits.

Dr. Wayne said the district reassigned staff to case-management roles, set up a public-facing dashboard and worked with the city’s benefits administrators and the payroll vendor to clear a backlog. “We’ve been able to close over 2,000 tickets over the past 30 days,” he said, and the district published a dedicated phone line for SFUSD employees: (628) 652-4700.

That progress did little to calm a stream of public commenters who described personal and workplace harm. “I’m losing my health insurance because of Empower SF,” said Sarah Amanoff, a longtime district employee. Shelley Weiner, a union leader and senior clerk typist, urged greater accountability and documentation, saying, “The rush to close tickets without actually solving the issue is appalling.”

Speakers requested an external audit of the program’s contract, clearer lines for appeals and a searchable public record of testing and ticket outcomes. Several witnesses said Empower SF is not reflecting contractual leave entitlements: one caller said the payroll system showed only 10 COVID‑related sick days despite memoranda of understanding providing for additional days.

Board members acknowledged continuing problems and pressed staff for clearer timelines. The superintendent said some failures were tied to third parties that administer benefits or to the payroll software vendor; he said the district had escalated issues with the vendor and stood up on‑site support to resolve posting errors. He emphasized a 90‑day stabilization plan and pledged follow‑up with affected employees.

The update was informational; the board did not take a separate vote on further emergency authority at this meeting. The district said it will continue posting weekly updates and pursuing technical and administrative fixes into the new year.