Students, staff and parents urge SFUSD board to spare San Francisco International High School from budget cuts

Dozens of students, teachers and parents addressed the San Francisco Unified School District board on Feb. 3 urging the board not to cut funding that supports newcomer students at San Francisco International High School (SFI).

Students described SFI as a “second home” and said bilingual counselors, after‑school programs and teachers who speak students’ home languages help newcomers navigate college applications, mental‑health needs and day‑to‑day school life. "SFI is a school for immigrants," said Rishan Chen, a 10th‑grader, describing programs that helped him learn English and feel safe in class. Other students told the board that reductions in counseling and staff would eliminate programs that many rely on to graduate and apply to college.

Teachers and staff reinforced the students’ accounts. "Teaching newcomer students is a highly professional specialized job," said Miss Harry, a math teacher at SFI, who warned that budget cuts would dismantle training and support systems built to serve multilingual and trauma‑affected students. A physics teacher, Blake, said resources now are "essential" and that cuts would leave classrooms unable to meet students’ needs.

Parents and community groups also urged the board to reconsider school closures and consolidations tied to the budget process. Vanessa Marrero, president of Parents of Public Schools of San Francisco, said her organization represents more than 1,600 signers of a petition opposing closures and called the proposed plan "reckless" for neighborhood schools.

Board members and staff acknowledged the testimony and reminded the public that board rules and California law limit responses during the public‑comment period. Staff said they would continue to accept written comments and invited speakers to follow up with district staff and advisory groups. The superintendent and senior staff said they plan further community meetings, including a district meeting at SFI, and noted that some budget allocations had been restored after community feedback.

The board did not vote on budget amendments during the Feb. 3 meeting; the public comment record closes the night the board hears the item or as directed by the agenda. The superintendent has said staff will report back on proposals and on community engagement progress at upcoming meetings.