San Francisco families who have spent years navigating the city's school lottery may be looking at a different system by the end of the decade. At its Oct. 6 meeting, the San Francisco Board of Education cut its list of replacements for the citywide elementary assignment lottery, in use since 2011, from three options to two, The San Francisco Standard reported. The board is scheduled to pick one on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The two remaining plans
Both options promise a seat at a neighborhood school, and neither ends school choice entirely. Under Option B, families who apply on time are guaranteed their neighborhood school and can still apply to any school in the city. Under Option C, the guarantee holds even for late applicants, but choices beyond the neighborhood school would be limited to citywide programs.
The board dropped Option A, which would have guaranteed a seat at one of three to five schools in a small zone, even though it scored best in a district survey of more than 2,700 families: 73% said it would likely meet their needs, compared with 71% for B and 48% for C. Staff told the board the enrollment team has shrunk from 30 people to 16 and that Option A would be a heavy lift for that team.
Doubts on the board and at the microphone
Commissioners worried Option B could leave southeast San Francisco schools under-enrolled if families keep leaving for open seats elsewhere, and Commissioner Supryia Ray questioned whether it would differ enough from today's lottery. Commissioner Alida Fisher said she was highly skeptical given the district's track record and criticized holding the discussion without addressing special education. Several public speakers asked the board to delay the vote, calling for an equity analysis and more outreach to families.
What changes either way
Staff found 12 of 58 attendance areas short by 10 or more general-education seats, an estimate they said may be low. Fixing that could mean moving language-program seats or turning two to three citywide K-8 schools into neighborhood schools, possibly serving students only through fifth grade. Superintendent Maria Su said language seats would be relocated, not cut.
After Tuesday's pick, staff would draft a full policy with new attendance boundaries. Final adoption is scheduled for April 13, 2027, with families applying under the new system in fall 2027 for students starting school in August 2028. The Oct. 13 meeting at 555 Franklin St. opens to the public at 6:30 p.m., following a 5 p.m. closed session, according to SFUSD.