Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where candidates for the San Francisco Unified School Board of Education respond to questions each week in 100 words or fewer. Answers will be published every Friday.
Mission Local now includes all eight of the candidates who will appear on the November ballot. They are as follows: Autumn Brown Garibay, Virginia Cheung, Alida Fisher, Ryan Hazelton, Phil Kim, Laurance Lee, Reina Tello and Tim Tung.
Each candidate is first ordered alphabetically, then rotated each week.
The furor over SFUSD’s announcement, in 2024, that it planned to close and merge several schools across the city led to the resignation of then-superintendent Matt Wayne — and temporarily put to bed the question of mergers and closures.
Now, with Maria Su in Wayne’s former role, the date to consider school closures or mergers has been pushed back to 2029-2030, after the school board sorts out and potentially overhauls the lottery system.
But with 14,000 empty classroom seats in the current system, the three candidates who win the Board of Education election will likely have to vote on the question of closures and mergers before their term ends.
This week, Mission Local asked candidates: Do you support school closures and mergers in 2020-2030?
Phil Kim
- Job: Deputy Director at San Francisco Agency for Human Rights, incumbent Board of Education president
- Age: 36
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Renter in the Castro
- Children: None
- SFUSD experience: School board president
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Bucknell University; master’s in education policy and administration from Loyola Marymount University; Pursuing EdD at the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English and Korean
- Transportation: Public transit, Walking
- Website: Phil Kim for School Board
In October 2025, I led the Board in unanimously giving guidance to the superintendent to develop a concrete strategy that develops a sustainable portfolio and an enrollment policy that is more accessible.
The reality is that we have 14,000 empty seats across the district. Our resources are spread too thin when they could be concentrated and better used to support students, teachers, and programs.
I’m committed to doing this with genuine community engagement, transparent data, and an honest accounting of the trade-offs. Any merger strategy should be paired with a clear plan to strengthen our existing schools.
Endorsed by: Mayor Daniel Lurie, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, GrowSF, San Francisco Democratic Party, SF Parents Action … read more here.
Laurance Lee
- Job: Volunteer at schools and licensed general contractor
- Age: 56
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in Noe Valley, born in the Richmond District
- Children: Yes, but did not attend SFUSD
- SFUSD experience: Current vice chair SFUSD Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (Appointed in 2022)
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and history & science from Harvard University
- Languages: English (learning Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and French)
- Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
- Website: Laurance Lee for School Board
No. SFUSD should spend the years through 2029-2030 building schools families choose, not choosing schools to close.
SFUSD projects 4,600 fewer students by 2032. A forecast is not a closure list. At Drew, I have seen how staffing, programs and trust shape family choices.
Start by strengthening academics and consider adding an immersion program families want to an underused campus. Watch applications and waitlists. Ask families what is missing.
If consolidation is proposed, explain the savings, student benefits, travel changes, and where students and programs go.
The 2024 lesson: listen and address community concerns, help students, and rebuild trust.
Endorsed by: State Senator Scott Wiener, Chinese American Citizens Alliance San Francisco Lodge, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 648 … read more here.
Reina Tello
- Job: Community organizer
- Age: 44
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Renter, born and raised in San Francisco
- Children: Two children: 14, rising eighth grader at James Lick; 18, recently graduated from June Jordan School for Equity
- SFUSD experience: Served on School Site Council two years ago
- Education: Current City College of San Francisco student studying labor and community studies
- Languages: English and Spanish
- Transportation: Driving
- Website: Reina for School Board
School closures do not save money, and they are a false solution to the problems facing SFUSD.
I do support investing in our public schools, ensuring resources allow for the expansion of programs and equitably distributing those programs across the city, especially in neighborhoods where most of our school-aged youth live.
I support adequate assessments and evaluations to accurately understand what supports are needed by our students in order for them to access their education, so it doesn’t take six years, as it did with my child.
The solutions listed above would create amazing schools, attract enrollment and eliminate the … read more here.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Rising Action Fund, Teamsters Local 853, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander, Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Jackie Fielder, Supervisor Chyanne Chan, Supervisor Shamann Walton… read more here.
Tim Tung
- Job: Public finance analyst, research analyst, public finance lecturer
- Age: 46
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in the Western Addition, previously lived in the Richmond and SoMa
- Children: Two children at Chinese Immersion School at De Avila
- SFUSD experience: Chair of the school site council at the Chinese Immersion School at De Avila; serves on SFUSD’s local control and accountability plan advisory committee
- Education: Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in information and data science from the University of California, Berkeley; master’s degree in public administration from San Jose State University
- Languages: English
- Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
- Website: Tim Tung for School Board
The district should pursue strategies to improve enrollment and utilization, including expanding TK, expanding capacity in high-demand programs, and fixing the student assignment system.
However, the district also has about 14,000 seats of excess capacity and we need to consolidate our scarce resources so that every school can be fully resourced with teachers, nurses, social workers, and librarians.
Well before decisions are made, the district must engage families, educators, students, and communities early enough for their input to meaningfully shape the analysis and outcome. The process should be transparent, and any savings should be redirected to frontline student services.
Endorsed by: GrowSF, State Senator Scott Wiener, Nancy Tung, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, Supervisor Alan Wong, Supervisor Danny Sauter … read more here.
Autumn Brown Garibay
- Job: Senior customer success manager at Sprout Social, Inc.
- Age: 41
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Renter in the Mission District
- Children: Three in SFUSD schools
- SFUSD experience: PTA at kids’ school, served on the Parent Leadership Council of the San Francisco Parent Coalition
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from Long Beach State University and Sacramento State University
- Languages: English
- Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
- Website: Autumn Brown Garibay for School Board
Yes, if consolidation is what it takes to make sure all of our schools are really well taken care of.
Right now, some schools simply are not getting what they need to be successful. Under-enrollment is stretching staff and resources across too many campuses, but the goal should not just be to move kids into bigger schools. We need to look honestly at what it takes to provide equitable, consistently excellent schools across the city.
Bringing school communities together also needs to be intentional, with respect for their traditions, relationships, and the opportunity to build something new together.
Endorsed by: SF Parents Action, GrowSF, San Francisco Democratic Party, State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Alan Wong, Supervisor Danny Sauter, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, Supervisor Matt Dorsey … read more here.
Virginia Cheung
- Job: Chief advancement officer of Open Door Legal
- Age: 43
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in Crocker Amazon, previously lived in the Mission District and the Portola since moving to San Francisco in 2008
- Children: Yes, they attend Alice Fong Yu Alternative School and Wah Mei School
- SFUSD experience: Treasurer for Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco and served on the Parent Advisory Board of Wah Mei BASE ExCel
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in social ecology with a minor in digital art, University of California, Irvine
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin and French
- Transportation: Driving
- Website: Virginia Cheung for School Board
I do not support school closures as a strategy to balance the budget. Priority must be increasing revenue, strengthening schools, improving outcomes, and stabilizing enrollment by expanding high-demand programs, like language immersion and Special Education.
Closures disrupt communities and accelerate enrollment loss. We must first improve enrollment predictability, optimize facilities, and rebuild trust so families stay in SFUSD. Once enrollment stabilizes, we will better evaluate underutilized sites and true consolidation savings.
Underutilized properties should first be considered for early education, health services, affordable housing, and community-school partnerships that strengthen our neighborhoods.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander, Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Jackie Fielder … read more here.
Alida Fisher
- Job: Executive Director at the Community Alliance for Special Education, incumbent Board of Education member
- Age: 51
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in Lakeview/OMI, lived in the Sunset until 2015
- Children: Yes, four adults, ages 18-25. Three have graduated from SFUSD, and the fourth is a senior at Mission High School this year.
- SFUSD experience: Current SFUSD Board of Education member. Has served as Chair of the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, member or past member of SFUSD’s African American Parent Advisory Council, LCAP Task Force, Charter School Oversight Committee, and PIR/CEIS/CCEIS Committee, PTSAs and SSCs at nine school sites
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University
- Languages: English, with limited ability to speak and understand Spanish and French
- Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
- Website: Reelect Alida Fisher
Let’s be clear: Closing schools won’t save money.
SFUSD currently has approximately 14,000 empty seats across 100+ schools, meaning resources are spread too thin.
Thoughtful realignment would allow us to provide more resources across fewer, stronger schools. Every school deserves the resources students need to thrive, including strong academic programs, full-time interventionists, librarians, arts, nurses, social workers, mental-health services, and more.
We have an opportunity to build a school portfolio that better serves students and closes equity gaps, but only through robust community engagement and meaningful buy-in from students, families, educators, staff, and school communities.
Endorsements: SF Parents Action, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton, former Supervisor Gordon Mar…read more here.
Ryan Hazelton
- Job: Executive director of Mariposa Kids, a nonprofit for play-based programs for kids ages 1-11
- Age: 43
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in the SoMa, living in San Francisco since 2007
- Children: None
- SFUSD experience: Chair of San Francisco Child Care Planning & Advisory Council, appointed by SFUSD
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, San Diego
- Languages: English
- Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
- Website: Ryan Hazelton for SF School Board
SFUSD’s top priorities must be improving student outcomes and maintaining financial stability. Our first steps should be reducing absenteeism to bring in more state funding and reforming our broken lottery system so we don’t drive families out of the district.
The district’s 2024 attempt to close schools broke trust by showing that they weren’t committed to increasing enrollment. I’m running to rebuild that trust, keep kids in school, and welcome more families to SFUSD.
Consolidation may be necessary at some point, given facilities capacity and enrollment numbers, but it is not the only solution to the challenges we currently face.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Harvey Milk Democratic Club, League of Pissed Off Voters, Supervisor Connie Chan, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander, former Supervisor Gordon Mar … read more here.
Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at rosina@missionlocal.com.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
