Meet the school board candidates: PTAs have unequal funding. How should SFUSD bridge the gaps?

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 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.

Some San Francisco Unified School District PTAs fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. 

Other PTAs raise far less. And about 40 schools don’t have a PTA at all, according to a list provided to Mission Local by Second District PTA. That can leave significant funding gaps between SFUSD schools.

Some parents floated the idea that SFUSD might pool funds from PTAs and distribute them across school sites. Cities like Portland, Oregon, have implemented this kind of policy. But SFUSD has not adopted such a plan. 

The district recently committed to radically invest in all schools equitably as they move toward a neighborhood-schools model where students are, for the most part, assigned to the schools closest to home.

With that transition and the geographic inequality of San Francisco, SFUSD may have to consider how to ensure PTAs are more comparably funded.   

This week, Mission Local asked candidates: How should SFUSD bridge the gap in funding between schools without PTAs and schools with them? 

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 

PTAs are independent nonprofits, so the district can’t require them to share, but it can do three things.

First, direct more PEEF and Student Success Fund dollars to schools with the highest need, within each fund’s rules.

Second, invite PTAs to pledge a percentage of their fundraising to a citywide pool for redistribution, and recognize those that do.

Third, help families start a PTA where they want one, with district staff to guide the administrative steps that stalled efforts at schools that have struggled to start one.

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 

Every student deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of their school’s ability to fundraise. PTAs are important partners in supporting our schools, but a family’s capacity to donate should not determine the opportunities available to their children.

SFUSD must prioritize equitable, needs-based resource allocation, ensuring schools serving our most vulnerable students receive the support they need. We should also increase transparency around private fundraising and explore district-wide partnerships that expand resources for schools without robust fundraising networks.

Ultimately, our responsibility is to ensure every school is well-resourced to meet the needs of its students.

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 

A school’s opportunities shouldn’t depend on its parents’ fundraising power. SFUSD should give schools with less fundraising capacity extra help securing resources, guided by their teachers and families.

At Drew, where I volunteer weekly, parents and staff are starting a PTA with Second District PTA’s help. Parents bring an independent voice; volunteer time, supplies and small donations all matter. 

For bigger needs, the district should encourage schools to access Proposition G funding and get support from Spark SF, other nonprofits, businesses and community donors. Start with what schools need, help them get it, and check that the support arrives.

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

PTAs should exist to build community and connection at schools, rather than fill gaps left by underfunding from the district and the state. We need to push for full funding from the state and let our PTAs get back to what they should be doing, which is helping support the connection between teachers and families at schools.

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 

SFUSD should align its budget with its key goals, ensuring resources are directed where they can make the greatest difference for students, regardless of a school’s PTA fundraising capacity.

As a board member, I would advocate for transparent, data-driven resource allocation that prioritizes schools with the greatest needs and holds the district accountable for results. The ultimate measure of success should be improved student outcomes, including closing the achievement gap.

By connecting budget decisions to measurable academic goals, SFUSD can ensure that every dollar supports student learning and that every child has the opportunity to succeed.

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

Fundraising totals don’t tell the whole story of a school’s resources or what students actually experience in the classroom. The district is responsible for ensuring investments improve instruction and student outcomes, regardless of what a school’s parent community can raise.

The gap that worries me more is parent capacity. Not every family has the same time or flexibility to participate.

I’d like to see regional PTA leadership invest more long-term in building volunteers with the schools that need the most support, so every school can have strong advocates. Our communities are strongest when we work together. As a longtime PTA … read full response here.

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 

Every SFUSD school deserves strong public funding, qualified staff, and essential services, regardless of PTA fundraising.

I propose a “raise one, give one” campaign to create a district-wide philanthropic matching fund. For each dollar a PTA raises for its school, major donors, foundations, or corporate partners would contribute another dollar to schools without PTAs or with limited fundraising capacity.

PTAs would keep their fundraising proceeds; matching gifts would help close inequities.

Parent engagement improves student outcomes, but families contribute differently. Some parents work irregular hours or multiple jobs and cannot attend fundraisers. We must recognize every contribution and support communities … read full response here.

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

Budgets are value statements. SFUSD must use district and city resources to ensure every school provides enriching opportunities, regardless of its PTA’s fundraising capacity.

PEEF and QTEA funds, along with Student Success Fund grants, can help schools offer programs and supports that wealthier PTAs might otherwise finance. We should allocate resources based on student needs and existing funding gaps, prioritizing schools with fewer fundraising resources.

A student’s access to arts, enrichment, tutoring, and other opportunities should never depend on their school’s ability to raise money from families. Equity means ensuring every school has the baseline resources students need to thrive.

Endorsements: SF Parents Action, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton, 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.