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.
San Francisco Unified School District has been under state fiscal oversight since May 2024, thanks to a a projected budget deficit of $120 million.
Adopting a balanced budget by a 4-3 school board vote last June didn’t come without cuts. To get there, about 375 jobs were eliminated and central-office funding was reduced by 15 percent.
But that doesn’t mean SFUSD is escaping fiscal oversight quite yet. The California Department of Education must verify SFUSD’s positive certification, meaning the district can cover all of its obligations for the current and the following two fiscal years, in December.
This week, Mission Local asked candidates: What does SFUSD need to do to end state fiscal oversight?
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
SFUSD has made real progress, including adopting a three-year balanced budget and reaching positive certification.
But ending state fiscal oversight requires proving that stability is sustainable. That means eliminating the structural deficit, ending reliance on one-time funds for ongoing costs, and fixing financial controls, especially payroll, enrollment projections, and multiyear budgeting.
As a board, we should understand the full ongoing cost of commitments before approving them. Fiscal stability should ultimately mean fewer surprise cuts and staffing disruptions, and more consistent investment in the classrooms, educators and student supports that improve outcomes.
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
SFUSD must build strong, reliable operations and demonstrate disciplined fiscal management year after year. That means maintaining balanced multi-year budgets, strengthening financial controls, and closely monitoring spending and outcomes—especially major contracts and projects such as payroll and financial systems.
But fiscal stability cannot come from cuts alone. We need strategic investments in educators and school staff that build a culture of excellence, improve student outcomes, and make families want to choose and stay in SFUSD.
Increasing enrollment, retention, and attendance strengthens both our schools and our finances by bringing more state funding into the district while creating long-term stability.
Increasing enrollment, retention, and attendance strengthens both our schools and our finances by bringing more state funding into the district while creating long-term stability.
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
We’ve made important progress during my term, including adopting a balanced three-year budget and achieving positive fiscal certification. The next step requires sustained and responsible financial management over time.
We must improve budget forecasting and monitoring. We must also modernize inefficient operational systems, including streamlining contracting, procurement, onboarding, and other administrative processes so resources reach schools more effectively and staff can focus on students.
We must invest in student outcomes rather than cutting costs. That means making difficult decisions responsibly and ensuring every dollar is aligned with our highest priorities: academic excellence, equity, and the services students need to thrive.
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 needs sustained fiscal discipline. The district earned a self-certified positive budget this year, which is genuine progress. However, the state only recognizes that progress when we have shown it consistently over time.
Getting there means addressing the structural deficit through growth strategies: reducing chronic absenteeism to protect attendance-tied funding, and expanding community schools and after-school programming to grow enrollment and improve attendance. We must also push for enrollment-based state funding.
Lastly, we need to provide early interventions for children with special needs, which saves the district money long-term while simply being the right thing to do.
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.
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
I am proud to have recently announced that we are moving from a “negative” fiscal certification to a self-certified “positive.” We anticipate receiving our official “positive” certification in December.
One of my highest priorities is to have a stable and solvent district providing an excellent education to every child in San Francisco.
Long-term, we must diligently and properly forecast revenues, budget appropriately, and leverage our restricted and unrestricted dollars in sustainable ways, spending within our means and maintaining a focus on our multi-year projections.
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
To end state oversight, SFUSD must complete the remaining California Department of Education requirements and sustain positive budget certification.
I have followed state fiscal expert Elliott Duchon’s work since 2021. The superintendent should give the board and public a dated schedule for each remaining item, with regular updates.
Then we should go further. While tracing district records, I found that contracted audits covering nearly $200 million a year in city and parcel-tax funds are years late. SFUSD needs a functioning internal audit team and financial reports that show families where the money went and how it helped students.
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
State oversight is decided by the California Department of Education CDE. SFUSD self-certified as positive in June, but ultimately, EDC will make the decision in December. SFUSD has to show a balanced budget over a three-year cycle.
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
To end state fiscal oversight, SFUSD must demonstrate through its interim reports that it can meet its financial obligations this year and the next two years. Positive certification is an important milestone, but it is not the same as durable financial health.
The district needs disciplined, five- to 10-year financial planning showing how today’s decisions affect future revenues, expenses, enrollment, and reserves. It also needs a realistic plan to build and maintain adequate unrestricted reserves, with clear guardrails for when they can be used.
The goal should be predictable, sustainable financial management and not just avoiding state oversight.
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.
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.
