Student Success Fund – Grants to the San Francisco Unified School District

Shall the City amend the Charter to provide additional funding for grants to the San Francisco Unified School District for 15 years to improve student academic achievement and social/emotional wellness?

Digest by the Ballot Simplification Committee

The Way It Is Now: The San Francisco Unified School District (School District) is a public agency that is separate from the City and operates the San Francisco public school system through 12th grade.

The City Charter establishes the Public Education Enrichment Fund. Each year the City must contribute a certain amount of money from the general fund for the School District to use for preschool and general education programs, as well as programs for art, music, sports and libraries. In the current fiscal year, the City contributes approximately $101 million.

At their discretion, the mayor and Board of Supervisors may provide additional funding to the School District.

Under state law, the School District and City College of San Francisco (City College) receive a portion of local property tax revenues from the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund. If any money remains after the School District and City College receive their funding, the City receives most of the remaining money. In the current fiscal year, the City receives approximately $329 million. That amount could change in future years.

The Proposal: Proposition G would amend the Charter to provide additional money for the School District from existing City funds, to be placed in a new Student Success Fund (Fund).

The Fund would provide grants to individual schools for programs that improve student academic achievement and social/emotional wellness. Programs could include academic tutoring, math and literacy specialists, additional social workers, arts and science programming, or afterschool and summer enrichment.

Schools can apply for grants of up to $1 million per year. To be eligible for these grants, a school must have a school site council with participation required from parents, students, community members and school staff, as well as commit to hiring a full-time coordinator. The City could later further define which schools would be eligible for these grants, specify priorities for grant distribution and establish the grant application process.

The Fund would also pay for potential grants to the School District to establish programs that improve student academic achievement and social/emotional wellness at a school or group of schools.

Under Proposition G, each year the City would place money in the Fund, as follows:

Fiscal Year	Amount
2023–2024	$11 million
2024–2025	$35 million
2025–2026	$45 million
2026–2027	$60 million

The City would make contributions to the Fund through fiscal year 2037–38 and the amounts would be adjusted annually.

A "YES" Vote Means: If you vote "yes," you want the City to provide additional funding for grants to the San Francisco Unified School District for 15 years to improve student academic achievement and social/emotional wellness.

A "NO" Vote Means: If you vote "no," you do not want to make these changes.

Controller's Statement on "G"

City Controller Ben Rosenfield has issued the following statement on the fiscal impact of Proposition G:

Should the proposed Charter amendment be approved by the voters, in my opinion, it would have a significant impact on the cost of government in that it would reallocate funds that would otherwise be available to the General Fund.

The proposed Charter amendment would establish a new set-aside fund in the Charter called the Student Success Fund (Fund). The Student Success Fund would pay for grants from the City to eligible schools in the San Francisco Unified School District that apply. The grants would support academic achievement and social/emotional wellness of students through a community school approach, which may include school nurses, in-classroom tutors, literacy and math specialists, academic coaches, social workers, specialized curriculum, and school psychologists.

The Charter amendment would require the City to appropriate specified amounts of money to the Fund each year. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023–2024, the City would appropriate $11 million to the Fund, $35 million in FY 2024–25, and $45 million in FY2025–26. The City would continue to appropriate $60 million to the fund through FY2037–38, adjusting allocations in each year given changes in overall City discretionary revenues by no more than 3% per fiscal year. The measure includes an allowance for the Mayor and Board to reduce appropriations to the fund to at least $35 million in years when either the City projects a budget deficit in excess of $200 million or when the excess Educational Reserve Augmentation money is either 50% less than in the preceding fiscal year or in the fiscal year three years earlier.

The proposed amendment would require any uncommitted money appropriated to the Fund at the end of each fiscal year be deposited in a special reserve account that could hold no more than $40 million at any time. At the end of each fiscal year, funds the special reserve account in excess of $40 million in would be returned to the General Fund. In deficit years as described above, the City would appropriate funds from the special reserve account, the City’s Budget Stabilization Reserve account, or other budgetary reserve accounts to the Fund to meet the required $35 million appropriation each year.

The proposed amendment is not in compliance with a non-binding, voter-adopted city policy regarding set-asides. The policy seeks to limit set-asides which reduce General Fund dollars that could otherwise be allocated by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors in the annual budget process.

How "G" Got on the Ballot

On July 26, 2022, the Board of Supervisors voted 11 to 0 to place Proposition G on the ballot. The Supervisors voted as follows:

Yes: Chan, Dorsey, Mandelman, Mar, Melgar, Peskin, Preston, Ronen, Safai, Stefani, Walton.

No: None.

This measure requires 50%+1 affirmative votes to pass.

Proponent’s Argument in Favor of Proposition G

Proposition G is an opportunity for San Francisco to come together and unite behind an initiative that will give our students a boost and help them find a path to success.

San Francisco schools suffer from underfunding and long-term inequalities. Too many students are experiencing unmet mental health challenges and other barriers to learning; struggling in core academic subject areas and testing below grade level. The pandemic has only made this situation worse.

The Student Success fund is a results-oriented initiative to help struggling students without raising taxes:

• Dedicates up to $60 million per year from existing city funds to programs that improve academic success and social/emotional wellness.

• Allows individual schools to apply for grants up to $1 million while requiring participation from parents, teachers, community members and school staff.

• Programs could include academic tutoring, math and literacy coaches, arts and science programs, nurses and social workers, mental health programs and nonprofit partnerships.

Proposition G will not raise taxes. It will be paid for by already existing city funds. Guarantees are built in to ensure that vital city services will not be negatively impacted during a recession or budget deficit.

The school-specific grant program ensures that programs meet the needs of each school community.

The Student Success Fund will be a game changer for San Francisco's public school students. That's why it has earned the support of a united educational community, a unanimous Board of Supervisors, mental health advocates, health care professionals, teachers, parents groups and community organizations.

Please join us in helping students succeed. Vote YES on G.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen

Supervisor Myrna Melgar

School Board President Jenny Lam

San Francisco Democratic Party

United Educators of San Francisco

National Union of Healthcare Workers

San Francisco Beacon Initiative

Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth

Faith in Action Bay Area

sfstudentsuccess.com

Arguments are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency. Arguments are published as submitted. Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected.

Rebuttal to Proponent’s Argument in Favor of Proposition G

No Rebuttal or Opponent’s Argument Against Proposition G Was Submitted

Arguments are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency. Arguments are published as submitted. Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected.

Paid Arguments in Favor of Proposition G

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Educators strongly support YES on G!

As educators, we hear a lot of talk about the need for systemic change and more resources, but it's rare to have the chance to vote for a policy that truly has the potential to be a game changer for our students' learning and socioemotional well-being. The Student Success Fund is that policy, and we are asking you to vote YES so our students, especially our most vulnerable students, can feel joy and a sense of belonging at school and achieve at the highest levels. Our children have been through so much during the pandemic and they are depending on us to step up for them at this moment and be true to the values we hold as educators: academic excellence, physical and mental health, community, and social justice. By voting YES on the Student Success Fund, we can dramatically accelerate support for our students and confidently state that we are voting for long-term, research-based, institutional reform. That's why every member of the San Francisco board of supervisors, school board, teacher's union, and numerous parent and community organizations have endorsed it.

Please join us in voting YES on the Student Success Fund!

United Educators of San Francisco

San Francisco Unified School District Principle Sarah Ballard-Hanson

San Francisco Unified School District Educator Anabel Ibáñez

San Francisco NAACP Education Committee Chair Dr. Virginal P Marshall*

Former San Francisco Unified School District Educator Winnie Porter

*For identification purposes only; author is signing as an individual and not on behalf of an organization.

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Student centered advocates urge support for prop G.

As some of the first in line when advocating for student needs, we get a first hand experience with students and their struggles. While watching our students struggle isn't an easy task, supporting solutions to help them can be. Supporting prop G can be an easy way for voters to help struggling students by funding community integrated programs where teachers, parents, and communities work collaboratively with students to find tailored programs to meet students where they are. Prop G is designed to increase the academic achievement or social/emotional wellness of San Francisco Unified School District students. There will also be technical assistance grants to support a schools readiness for a full grant. We will be voting YES on Prop G and invite other student centered advocates to do so as well.

Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth

San Francisco Beacon Initiative

San Francisco Youth Commission Director Alondra Esquivel Garcia*

California Young Democrats Bay Area Deputy Regional Director Joshua Rudy Ochoa*

*For identification purposes only; author is signing as an individual and not on behalf of an organization.

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Parents fighting for our children's future

Our students' schools have suffered for years from underfunding and long-term inequalities, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and students of color, with disabilities and who are non-English speakers. Conditions have only gotten worse in the pandemic. The disproportionality of resources and services impacts our students by widening academic and social emotional gaps resulting in unnecessary struggle to reach grade level in math and reading exacerbating mental health now at an all-time low. Over many years public schools have instituted innovative initiatives unique to each school community striving to assist students with extra academic and social/emotional support. These initiatives have shown results though challenging to sustain because of one-time funding; when the money runs out initiatives and our students experience detrimental impacts. The Student Success Fund provides long-term, stable funding for these initiatives improving student academic and social/emotional wellness.

The Student Success Fund provides schools the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $1 million for programs such as literacy coaching, social work mental health services, nurses, art, science, summer programming, and more. Grants will depend on the unique needs of each school, and engages parents and educators in the process of how best to meet the needs of our students.

The Student Success Fund will allow schools the chance to have top-notch academic, social emotional, enrichment support, reducing high staff turnover and understaffing in schools. The programs will operate under the guidance of proven improvement success approaches; students' growth outcomes will accelerate.

This will be a game changer for our students. Please join us in voting YES on the Student Success Fund!

Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco

Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth

San Francisco Parent Coalition

San Francisco Parent Action

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Women paving the way for San Francisco's students!

Prop G is an important tool that provides funding where our students need it the most, in academia and overall well-being. By supporting Prop G, we are supporting our students with resources such as but not limited to, additional academic supports or coaches to assist teachers and students, full-time wellness professionals such as school nurses, counselors, and social workers, enrichment programming in art, music, sports, STEM. after-school and/or summer opportunities to enhance learning.

Join mothers and women leaders and invest in supporting our students' success by voting YES on Prop G.

San Francisco Women's Political Committee

Supervisor Hillary Ronen

San Francisco Democratic Patty Chair Honey Mahogany

San Francisco Democratic Party Treasurer Carolina Morales

San Francisco Democratic Party Recording Secretary Janice Li

San Francisco Democratic Party Corresponding Secretary Anabel Ibáñez

San Francisco Democratic Party Committee Member Jane Kim

United Educators of San Francisco Treasurer Geri Almanza

Special Education Advocate Alida Fisher

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Yes on G to combat inequality for Black Students

The time to step up for our students has never been more pressing than now. While black students have historically been underserved and overlooked in academia, the pandemic has only exasperated the situation. The student success fund would be a step in combating inequity by providing vital funds needed for students in school and out of school. We are urging all voters who care about combating educational inequalities impacting our black students to support the student success fund.

Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton

San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany

San Francisco Board of Education Vice President Kevine Boggess

San Francisco Democratic Party Member Gloria Berry

San Francisco NAACP Education Committee Chair Dr. Virginal P. Marshall*

Former City College of San Francisco Student Trustee William Walker

San Francisco NAACP Vice President Arnold Townsend*

*For identification purposes only; author is signing as an individual and not on behalf of an organization.

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Ya Basta! Comunidad for Latino students now

Students are the seeds of our community that grow to be our leaders. Yet when budgets come around, our students are the first in line to have their programs sacrificed. Well, we say, basta! It's time for essential program funding for our students. We support the future of our community by supporting the student success fund. The student success fund is a start to supporting our students' needs not just in academic achievement but social wellness. We urge our community and allies to show up for Latino students now by voting YES on the student success fund.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar

California Democratic Party Vice Chair David Campos*

San Francisco Democratic Party Treasurer Carolina Morales

San Francisco Democratic Party Corresponding Secretary Anabel Ibáñez

Faith In Action Bay Area

San Francisco LatinX Democratic Club

Latino Task Force

San Francisco Latino Equity and Parity Coalition

City College Board of Trustees President Brigitte Davila

Former Supervisor John Avalos

Community Organizer Jackie Fielder

*For identification purposes only; author is signing as an individual and not on behalf of an organization.

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Join Asian American leaders in funding our students future

Yes on G is a concrete, well-considered proposition that focuses on both student achievement and student well-being. This is crucial for the success of all San Francisco students. So many of our children struggled through the pandemic and need assistance. By making the grants school-based, Yes on G recognizes that different communities need different programs to help students move forward and upward. We believe in the success of our students in all facets of academia which is why we support the student success funds!

Supervisor Connie Chan

Supervisor Gordon Mar

Public Defender Mano Raju

Former Supervisor Jane Kim

Board of Education president Jenny Lam

Bart Board Director Janice Li

San Francisco City College Board Member Alan Wong

United Educators of San Francisco Secretary Leslie Hu

South West Asian North -African Democratic Club

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Filling wellness gaps for our LGBTQ+ youth

It is the duty of our community to listen to what students need so that we can provide equitable solutions. Our Family Coalition, an LGBTQ youth service provider, earlier this year found that 45% of their serviced population had contemplated suicide and 14% had attempted to take their lives. What our youth is telling us is that they need a change in what has been normal for years because it is not serving them. We need equitable programs in our schools to address ALL needs of our students. We believe the student success fund will start to fill the gaps that students have been falling through by prioritizing marginalized groups for funding.

Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club

Supervisor Matt Dorsey

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman

Bart Board Director Bevan Dufty*

Former State Senator Mark Leno

California Democratic Party Vice chair David Campos*

San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany

San Francisco Democratic Party Vice Chair Peter Gallota

Community Organizer Jackie Fielder

*For identification purposes only; author is signing as an individual and not on behalf of an organization.

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Democratic leaders Support Student Achievement

As democratic leaders it is our due diligence to set our students up for success! We must meet our students' needs at every step which is why we support proposition G. Prop G brings real solutions to the academic and social troubles we know our students face in and out of the classroom today. With the student success fund, schools will have the opportunity to implement customized programs to meet their specific students' targeted needs. This opportunity welcomes solutions that will promote academic achievement and social wellness. We invite voters to join democratic leaders in supporting our students by voting YES on prop G.

San Francisco Democratic Party

Supervisor Connie Chan

Supervisor Aaron Peskin

Supervisor Gordan Mar

Supervisor Dean Preston

Supervisor Matt Dorsey

Supervisor Myrna Melgar

Supervisor Hillary Ronen

Supervisor Shamann Walton

Supervisor Ahsha Safai

Public Defender Mano Raju

Board of Education Vice President Kevine Boggess

Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

Paid Argument IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Unions for Student Success first

When we as workers stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with each other, our workers and our entire community win! That's what the Student Success Fund is all about and that's why we are asking you, our brothers and sisters in labor, to vote YES.

In schools, we say that "teachers' working conditions are students' learning conditions" and that's never been more true than it is today. We are facing a longstanding crisis in our public schools that was exacerbated by the pandemic and that has caused way too many teachers, classroom aides, nurses, psychologists, and other staff to burnout and even leave. This hurts workers and, just as importantly, this hurts students. Our educators and children - your children - in public schools deserve better.

The Student Success Fund will jumpstart the work we need to do to put our schools on the path to success so that every student, especially our most vulnerable students, can improve their learning and socioemotional well-being. The Student Success Fund will be paid for using already existing city funds, with guarantees built in so that if there is a large decrease in the city budget, it will protect city workers' pay and benefits. There are NO new taxes. Join the United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Labor Council in voting YES!

San Francisco Labor Council

United Educators of San Francisco

National Union of Healthcare Workers

ILWU NCDC

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Franciscans For Student Success.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

End of Paid Arguments IN FAVOR of Proposition G

Arguments are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency. Arguments are published as submitted. Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected.

Paid Arguments Against Proposition G

Paid Argument AGAINST Proposition G

VOTE NO on Proposition G.

Proposition G guts other City services for 15 years, removing $60 million per year of needed funding from priorities like police and public transit.

SFUSD’s recent agenda has shown little to no interest in “student success”. Over the past two years, they’ve given us school closures, re-namings, standards removal, historic mural censorship.

Do you have any faith that giving them extra funds, with a vague mandate for improving “social/emotional wellness”, will produce positive results?

San Francisco Republican Party

John Dennis, Chairman

Howard Epstein

Richard Worner

Lisa Remmer

Joseph Bleckman

Yvette Corkrean

William Kirby Shireman

Stephanie Jeong

Clinton Griess

Stephen Martin-Pinto

Leonard Lacayo

SFGOP.org

info [at] sfgop.org

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Francisco Republican Party.

The sole contributor to the true source recipient committee: Dahle for Governor.

Paid Argument AGAINST Proposition G

VOTE NO on G – It’s a GIANT MONEY GRAB

For several decades now, San Francisco has had one of the lowest percentages of school-age children and teens of any major city. The 2020 Census show that SF's youth population has only decreased further in the last ten years.

Cold, hard facts don’t sway the Board of Supervisors and their tampering with our City’s Constitution and embedding an entirely new “set-aside” fund for SF Unified School District to hand out our tax dollars through a “Community School Approach” – what pap!

Rather than taking a hard look in the mirror at their anti-family policies over the years and fixing the subpar school system the Board of Supervisors creates a NEW set-aside in violation of good government.

Prop G would require the City to appropriate specified amounts of money to the new Fund each year. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024, the City would appropriate $11 million to the Fund, $35 million in FY 2024-25, and $45 million in FY2025-26. The City would continue to appropriate $60 million to the fund through FY2037-38! In deficit years, Prop G demands the City grab funds from Reserve and savings accounts for disasters to meet the require $35 million handout to the failing School District under the fiction of handing out grants to students!

This blatant violation of voter-adopted policy limits set-asides which reduce General Fund dollars that could otherwise be properly allocated during the annual budget process.

Such non-compliance doesn’t faze City Hall which willfully, arrogantly ignores voter-approved mandates and good fiscal policy.

City Hall needs a basic education about its failed policies and inability to be fiscally responsible. Let’s start educating these “geniuses”: VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION G!

San Francisco Taxpayers Association

The true source(s) of funds for the printing fee of this argument: San Francisco Taxpayers Association.

The three largest contributors to the true source recipient committee: 1. Paul Scott, 2. Diane Wilsey, 3. S.F. Board of Realtors.

Arguments are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency. Arguments are published as submitted. Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected.

Legal Text

Describing and setting forth a proposal to the voters at an election to be held on November 8, 2022, to amend the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco to establish the Student Success Fund under which the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families will provide grants to the San Francisco Unified School District and schools in the District to implement programs that improve academic achievement and social/emotional wellness of students; and to require an annual appropriation in a designated amount to the Fund for 15 years based on a calculation of the City’s excess Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund allocation in specified fiscal years.

Section 1. Findings.

(a) As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, students in the San Francisco Unified School District (the “District”) are experiencing a greater need for an integrated academic and social/emotional learning and support system to succeed in school. Current conditions in the District’s schools, exacerbated by the pandemic and persistent funding constraints—due to historic underfunding of public schools, declining enrollment, and increasing costs of operating schools—have resulted in too many students struggling in core academic subject areas, with many testing below grade level and experiencing unmet mental health challenges and/or other barriers to learning, including pervasive poverty, systemic racism, and other trauma. Moreover, the current high rates of staff turnover and staff absences make matters worse for already chronically understaffed and under-resourced schools. Many schools lack robust enrichment activities, such as arts, music, and sports, that educate the entire mind and body, trauma-informed practices, and mental health services. Every year we face further educator and paraeducator flight, and enrollment loss in our public school system.

(b) This Charter amendment aims to fund the creation of programs within a coherent framework informed by the District, to assist students to reach grade-level proficiency in core academic subjects, and to improve overall social/emotional wellness. The Student Success Fund (the “Fund”) will allow every school the chance to have top-notch enrichment and support programs, reduce staff turnover and resultant understaffing, implement programs that are most beneficial for students in order to scale up proven successes, and ultimately increase enrollment in the District. By aligning resources with evidence-based instructional strategies and wrap-around student support, the Fund will promote efforts at school sites to bring together local community stakeholders—parents, educators, administrators, and school-site-based and/or connected community organizations—to address the challenges identified above and center supportive programming on the distinctive needs of their students and their families. To create this supportive learning environment, the range of interventions may include academic intervention programming, academic tutoring, arts and culture programs, social/emotional support, and/or programs that address the essential needs of families facing poverty and trauma. To improve outcomes for students farthest from access and most impacted by the opportunity gap, schools demonstrating low academic achievement and other factors, including poverty rates of students’ families and enrollment of English-language learners, foster youth, and homeless youth, will be prioritized for this funding. Indicators of these factors will come from State and District ratings.

(c) The District’s community schools framework follows the definition used by the California Department of Education. That definition includes four evidence-informed programmatic features aligned and integrated with high-quality, rigorous teaching and learning practices and environments: 1) integrated support services; 2) family and community engagement; 3) collaborative leadership and practices for educators and administrators; and 4) extended learning time and opportunities. This framework, combined with strategic data collection and outcomes analysis, ensures continuous improvement to school-site interventions that best match student needs.

(d) The City intends to work in close partnership with the Board of Education and the District to ensure support, coordination, and collaboration between the District and City departments serving children and families. The implementation of the Student Success Fund will serve to accomplish this partnership in service of children and their families.

Section 2. The Board of Supervisors hereby submits to the qualified voters of the City and County, at an election to be held on November 8, 2022, a proposal to amend the Charter of the City and County by adding Section 16.131, to read as follows:

NOTE: Unchanged Charter text and uncodified text are in plain font.

Additions are single-underline italics Times New Roman font.

Deletions are strike-through italics Times New Roman font.

Asterisks (* * * *) indicate the omission of unchanged Charter subsections.

SEC. 16.131. STUDENT SUCCESS FUND.

(a) Establishment of Fund. There is hereby established the Student Success Fund (“the Fund”) to be administered by the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (the “Department”), or any successor agency. Monies therein shall be expended or used solely by the Department, subject to the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Charter, for the purposes set forth in this Section 16.131.

(b) Purposes of Fund. The purpose of the Fund is to provide additional resources to the San Francisco Unified School District (the “District”) to accomplish grade-level success in core academic subjects and improve social/emotional wellness for all District students. The Fund will encourage the District to be innovative and creative in improving student outcomes in both areas, so that successful programs may be scaled up. One model to achieve the purposes of this Fund is the community school framework that has been implemented across the country with proven outcomes in academic achievement and student success.

Using this framework, students, families, educators, and connected community partners work together with school administrators in determining strategies to serve students who are struggling at their schools, and integrate partners inside and outside of the schools, such as City departments and community-based organizations, to meet student and family needs in order to increase student success and equity in and among schools. To help students succeed in the classroom, this framework bolsters current resources available in schools, and may include academic support, social/emotional interventions, strategies to address persistent poverty and trauma, or support for families to secure stability. Many of these needs can be met within the school by District educators and support staff including but not limited to school nurses, in-classroom tutors, literacy and math specialists, academic coaches, social workers, specialized curriculum, and school psychologists. Other interventions can be achieved with the assistance of community-based organizations and/or City departments including but not limited to programs and assistance to alleviate the impacts of poverty and/or trauma, after-school programming, therapeutic arts and culture programing, and summer school.

The Fund is born of a belief that students, parents, educators, and staff of community-based organizations at individual schools are the best situated to determine, within the District’s instructional and community schools framework, the direct interventions and programming that are necessary to help all students achieve academic success and social/emotional wellbeing at their school. The community schools framework continuously monitors programs and practices in each school community to ensure that strategies support student progress and outcomes, and that the entire school community is part of that work. The Fund is also born of a belief that it takes a village to successfully educate students, and the involvement of more caring adults to help students overcome challenges is a building block to their ultimate success.

(c) Definitions.

“Core Staffing” shall mean the minimum classroom teacher staffing levels required by the District’s collective bargaining agreement with the labor organization representing teachers in the District. For the purposes of this definition, Core Staffing also means the school principal.

“Department” shall mean the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families, or any successor agency.

“District” shall mean the San Francisco Unified School District.

“Eligible School” shall mean a school in the District serving students at one or more grade levels from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The Board of Supervisors may, by ordinance, or the Department may, by regulation, establish criteria or prerequisites for Eligible Schools to receive grants from the Fund. If there is any conflict between an ordinance and a regulation as described in the preceding sentence, the ordinance shall prevail.

“Excess ERAF” shall mean the amount of remaining Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund monies allocated to the General Fund in a fiscal year under California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 97.2(d)(4)(B)(i)(III), as that provision may be amended from time to time.

“Fund” shall mean the Student Success Fund established by this Section 16.131.

“School Site Council” shall mean a council established under California Education Code Section 52852, as that provision may be amended from time to time. The Board of Supervisors may by ordinance modify the meaning of the term “School Site Council” for the purpose of this Section 16.131, provided that the ordinance must require participation by parents, students, community members, and school staff.

“Significant Reduction” shall mean a decrease in the amount of Excess ERAF from previous fiscal years such that the amount of anticipated Excess ERAF, as determined by the Controller, in a fiscal year is either (1) 50% less than the amount of Excess ERAF in the immediately preceding fiscal year or (2) 50% less than the amount of Excess ERAF in the fiscal year three years prior.

(d) Annual Appropriations to the Fund.

(1) In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, the City shall appropriate $11 million to the Fund (an amount that is equivalent to approximately 3.1% of the anticipated value of Excess ERAF for Fiscal Year 2023-24, as projected by the Controller on June 1, 2022). In Fiscal Year 2024-2025, the City shall appropriate $35 million to the Fund (an amount that is equivalent to approximately 9.4% of the anticipated value of Excess ERAF for Fiscal Year 2024-25, as projected by the Controller on June 1, 2022). In Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the City shall appropriate $45 million to the Fund (an amount that is equivalent to approximately 11.5% of the anticipated value of Excess ERAF for Fiscal Year 2025-26, as projected by the Controller on June 1, 2022). In Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the City shall appropriate $60 million to the Fund (an amount that is equivalent to approximately 14.6% of the anticipated value of Excess ERAF for Fiscal Year 2026-27, as projected by the Controller on June 1, 2022).

(2) In each year from Fiscal Year 2027-2028 through Fiscal Year 2037-2038, the City shall appropriate to the Fund an amount equal to the prior year’s appropriation, adjusted by the percentage increase or decrease in aggregate discretionary revenues, as determined by the Controller, based on calculations consistent from year to year, provided that the City may not increase appropriations to the Fund under this subsection (d)(2) by more than 3% in any fiscal year. In determining aggregate City discretionary revenues, the Controller shall only include revenues received by the City that are unrestricted and may be used at the option of the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors for any lawful City purpose.

(3) Notwithstanding subsections (d)(1) and (d)(2), the City may freeze appropriations to the Fund for any fiscal year after Fiscal Year 2023-2024 at the prior year amounts when the City’s projected budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year at the time of the March Joint Report or March Update to the Five Year Financial Plan as prepared jointly by the Controller, the Mayor’s Budget Director, and the Board of Supervisors’ Budget Analyst exceeds $200 million, adjusted annually beginning with Fiscal Year 2023-2024 by the percentage increase or decrease in aggregate City discretionary revenues, as determined by the Controller, based on calculations consistent from year to year. In any such fiscal year, the City also may in its discretion appropriate to the Fund an amount less than the amount required by subsection (d)(1) or (d)(2), as applicable, provided that the City must appropriate at least $35 million to the Fund in each such fiscal year.

(4) Notwithstanding subsections (d)(1), (d)(2), or (d)(3), if the Controller determines that there will be a Significant Reduction in Excess ERAF in any fiscal year after Fiscal Year 2023-2024, then the City shall not be required to appropriate the full amount set forth in subsection (d)(1) or (d)(2) for that fiscal year, but the City shall appropriate at least $35 million to the Fund in that fiscal year, in the following manner and sequence: In any such fiscal year, the City shall appropriate monies withdrawn from the separate reserve account under subsection (d)(6) until that account has no remaining funds. If there are no remaining funds in that reserve account, the City shall appropriate monies withdrawn from the City’s Budget Stabilization Reserve established under Charter Section 9.120. If there are no remaining funds in the Budget Stabilization Reserve, the City shall appropriate monies withdrawn from other budget reserve accounts established under Charter Section 9.120.

(5) If, at any election after November 8, 2022, the voters of the City enact a special tax measure that dedicates funds for the purposes described in this Section 16.131, the City may reduce the amount of appropriations in subsections (d)(1) and (d)(2) in any subsequent fiscal year by the amount of special tax revenues that the City appropriates for those purposes in that fiscal year.

(6) Reserve Account.

(A) The Controller shall establish a separate reserve account in the Fund to facilitate additional appropriations and expenditures during fiscal years described in subsections (d)(3) and (d)(4). In any fiscal year described in subsection (d)(3) or (d)(4), the City may appropriate and expend funds from this separate reserve account for the purposes permitted by this Section 16.131, provided that the total amount expended from the Fund in any fiscal year shall not exceed the amount set forth for that fiscal year in subsection (d)(1) or (d)(2).

(B) At the end of each fiscal year, the Controller shall deposit in the separate reserve account any monies that were appropriated to the Fund under subsection (d)(1) or (d)(2) but that remain uncommitted, provided that the amount in the separate reserve account shall not exceed $40 million. The Controller shall return to the General Fund any additional monies in the Fund that remain uncommitted.

(e) Uses of the Fund to Support Community Schools. On a funding cycle determined by the Department, the Department shall invite Eligible Schools and the District to apply for grant funding to support academic achievement and social/emotional wellness of students. The Department shall establish after making reasonable efforts to consult with and reach mutual agreement with the District, or the Board of Supervisors may establish by ordinance after requesting input from the District, a simple and accessible grant funding process. If there is any conflict between any ordinance and a regulation described in the preceding sentence or in any other provision in this subsection (e), the ordinance shall prevail.

(1) Criteria: The Department, after consultation with the District, shall adopt criteria, and the Board of Supervisors may by ordinance adopt criteria, establishing the qualifications for Eligible Schools to receive a Student Success Grant or a Technical Assistance Grant, or for the District to receive a District Innovation Grant in coordination with one or more Eligible Schools. At minimum, to receive a Student Success Grant under subsection (e)(2), each Eligible School, including Eligible Schools covered by a District Innovation Grant, must meet the following criteria:

(A) The Eligible School must have a School Site Council that has endorsed the Eligible School’s grant funding proposal and has committed to supporting the implementation of the programs and/or staffing funded by the grant.

(B) The Eligible School must have a full-time Community School Coordinator, or must plan to hire and in fact hire a Community School Coordinator, who will serve in a leadership role working alongside the Eligible School’s principal in implementing the grant and ensuring that the programs funded by the grant integrate with and enhance the Eligible School’s academic programs, social/emotional supports, and other programming. If there is a program or a community-based organization integrally connected to the Eligible School that provides on-site services and support for students and their families, including without limitation an after-school, Beacon, or other program, the Community School Coordinator must fully integrate these programs or organizations so they work together to enhance the academic learning and social/emotional support that occurs during the regular school day. The Community School Coordinator must participate in the School Site Council to help it gain and maintain the skills and capacity to meaningfully reflect the values of the school community and support the implementation of programs funded by each Student Success Fund Grant. The District or the Eligible School may pay for the Community School Coordinator with monies allocated through Student Success Grants or Technical Assistance Grants.

(C) The Eligible School must agree to coordinate with City departments and with the District’s administration to ensure that all resources, strategies, and programs at the Eligible School best serve students and their families. If the Eligible School implements initiatives that advance the community school model but are not funded by a grant under the Fund (for example, but without limitation, Beacon, ExCEL, or Promised Neighborhoods programs, or other partnerships with community-based organizations), then the Eligible School must demonstrate to the Department how programs supported by the grant will coordinate with, align with, and share leadership with those other initiatives. Eligible Schools’ initiatives should utilize the state-mandated school plan to ensure a coherent approach and align resources allocation with student outcomes in both academic achievement and social/emotional wellness.

(2) Student Success Grants: The Department shall provide a Student Success Grant to each Eligible School that the Department, after consultation with the District, determines is capable of successfully implementing the District’s instructional and community schools frameworks or other evidence-based school improvement strategies, based on the school’s application. The Department shall establish criteria, or the Board of Supervisors may establish criteria by ordinance, to prioritize grants to schools demonstrating low academic achievement and/or with a high number of vulnerable students, including but not limited to English language learners, foster youth, students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, homeless students, and students who are otherwise vulnerable or underserved. To determine whether an Eligible School has demonstrated low academic achievement, the Department shall rely on ratings prepared by the State and/or the District. The Department may determine the amount of each Student Success Grant, up to a maximum amount of $1 million per fiscal year. In addition to other uses consistent with this Section 16.131, a Student Success Grant may fund the Eligible School’s staffing costs associated with administering the programs funded by the grant, including the Eligible School’s Community School Coordinator. The Department may develop a process for working with Eligible Schools to determine alternative programs for the use of grant funds where the Department finds that the Eligible School’s initial proposal does not align with the Department’s criteria.

(3) Technical Assistance Grants: If the Department determines that an Eligible School does not have the organizational capacity to implement a community school model in the next fiscal year, the Department may award that Eligible School a Technical Assistance Grant, which shall be a grant to provide technical assistance to prepare and assist a school community and its School Site Council to gain the skills and capacity to apply for additional grants in future fiscal years.

(4) District Innovation Grants: The Department may also provide grants to the District if the District applies for funding to plan or implement innovative programs designed to enhance student achievement or social/emotional wellness at an Eligible School or group of Eligible Schools. Such programs may but need not be pilot programs. The Department may determine the amount of each District Innovation Grant based on criteria adopted by the Department, or by the Board of Supervisors by ordinance. Any such criteria shall prioritize programs in Eligible Schools demonstrating low academic achievement and/or with a high number of vulnerable students, including but not limited to English language learners, foster youth, students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, homeless students, and students who are otherwise vulnerable or underserved.

(5) Restrictions on Uses of Student Success Grants and Technical Assistance Grants: Eligible Schools may not use Student Success Grants or Technical Assistance Grants to pay for the Eligible School’s or the District’s costs to provide Core Staffing.

(6) School District Coordinator: Notwithstanding any other provisions in this subsection (e), the Department shall not issue any grants to Eligible Schools or the District unless the District has at least one full-time employee or full-time employee equivalent dedicated to managing and coordinating the community school framework District-wide, and providing training and support for each Eligible School’s Community School Coordinator; or unless the District is in the process of selecting and hiring a full-time employee to perform those functions.

(7) Outcomes and Goal Measurement: The Department, in consultation with the District, shall establish clearly defined goals and measurable outcomes for each grant and for the interventions and programs supported by the Fund overall. The Department, in consultation with the District, also shall establish a report structure and template for Eligible Schools, the District, and the Department to evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions and programs. The Department’s compliance standards and evaluations for Eligible Schools shall complement and align with those of existing evaluation structures, such as, but not limited to, quality practices of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers Program, and ExCel After School Programs, and any new similar out-of-school programs that the District may implement over time.

(8) Ordinances: The Board of Supervisors may enact ordinances setting forth additional criteria, restrictions, procedures, or guidelines, including but not limited to additional permissible or prohibited uses of grant funds.

(f) Uses of the Fund for Administration by City Departments and the District. The City may appropriate up to 3.5% of the monies appropriated from the Fund each fiscal year to City departments to implement this Section 16.131 and administer the grant programs. Additionally, the District may retain up to 3.5% of each Student Success Grant or Technical Assistance Grant to cover the District’s expenses to comply with the administrative, implementation, and reporting requirements in this Section 16.131.

(g) Reports. As a condition of each grant provided under this Section 16.131, the Department shall require the District and Eligible School to provide the Department with data documenting the student outcomes, both academic and social/emotional, of the programs funded by the grants, to the extent permitted by State and federal law. Based on this data and other information available to the Department, the Department shall regularly assess the outcomes of the grant programs to evaluate how they are serving students, communities, and schools to meet the goals of improving student academic and social/emotional wellness outcomes. Each year by no later than May 1, the Department shall submit to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors a report covering the prior calendar year and providing information about the uses of grants awarded under the Fund and data regarding outcomes from the grant funding.

(h) Task Force. By no later than March 31, 2023, the Board of Supervisors shall pass an ordinance establishing a task force to exist until at least July 31, 2024 with the purpose to provide advice to the Board and the Mayor regarding potential future sources of revenue for the Fund, including a potential special tax measure that would dedicate funds for the purposes described in this Section 16.131.

(i) Expiration. This Section 16.131 shall expire by operation of law on December 31, 2038, following which the City Attorney may cause it to be removed from the Charter unless the Section is extended by the voters.