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← 2022
San Francisco Unified School District elections
General election date
November 5, 2024
Enrollment ('22-'23)
48,785 students

Incumbent Matt Alexander, Parag Gupta, Jaime Huling, and Supryia Marie Ray won election to four seats on the seven-member San Francisco Unified School District school board (SFUSD) in California on November 5, 2024. Following the election, moderates held a 5-2 majority, while progressives held a 4-3 majority before the election.

Eleven candidates ran in the nonpartisan election. Alexander, Gupta, Huling, John Jersin, and Ray led in media attention and endorsements. Board members serve four-year terms.

Alexander was the only incumbent who ran for re-election. Incumbents Jenny Lam, Mark Sanchez, and Kevine Boggess did not seek re-election.

Before the election, the San Francisco Chronicle's Jill Tucker said the school board election would be as crucial as the presidential and mayoral races because "[t]he next school board will arguably face one of the most difficult periods in the district's recent history with massive budget cuts needed to avert insolvency and an overhaul of the student assignment system pending along with a new payroll system to replace a bug-riddled $40 million platform."^[1] Other issues included school closures, a state-imposed hiring freeze, a decline in enrollment, more than 250 special education vacancies, absenteeism, pandemic-related learning loss, and student mental health concerns.^[2]^[3]

Gupta, Huling, and Jersin announced their candidacies together, forming a slate of moderate candidates, according to SFIST.^[2]^[4] According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Ray, though not a member of the moderate slate, was also a moderate candidate. Alexander was a progressive candidate.^[5]

In an interview with Mission Local, retired political consultant David Latterman said, "With few voters directly involved with San Francisco public schools — less than one-fifth of the city’s voters have children, and even fewer send those children to public schools — a candidate’s endorsements play an outsized role in getting elected in a down-ballot race like school board."^[6] The United Educators of San Francisco, Grow SF, TogetherSF Action, and the San Francisco Democratic Party endorsed Gupta, Huling, and Jersin. The United Educators of San Francisco also endorsed Alexander.^[2] SF Parent Action, Grow SF, TogetherSF Action, and the San Francisco Democratic Party endorsed Ray.^[6]

Alexander was the board president, a community organizer at Faith in Action Bay Area, and a former teacher and principal. He said to achieve academic excellence for all children "SFUSD also must stabilize our finances, fully staff our schools, and be more responsive to the needs of families."^[7]

Gupta was the chief program officer at Mercy Housing. He said his top priority was "to demonstrate the school district is serious in remedying the projected $421 million deficit so we may avert a total state takeover. I feel strongly that the San Francisco community is best placed to decide its priorities and balance its budget."^[7]

Huling was a supervising deputy city attorney of Oakland, California. Huling said she was running "to ensure we balance the budget to prioritize equity and excellence, and ensure all of our kids have the opportunities and supports they deserve."^[7]^[8]

Jersin was the co-founder of an education nonprofit, the Jersin Foundation. He said as a member of SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, "I have found opportunities to increase revenue via fixes to our enrollment system" and would bring "needed management and financial experience to the Board of Education."^[7]

Ray was an attorney and writer. She said the district's budget was her number one campaign issue and that she would "insist on transparency and hold administrators accountable for presenting credible budgets; developing and maintaining critical systems; and scrutinizing every dollar spent for its impact on students."^[7]

For the 2023-2024 school year, the SFUSD was the sixth largest district in California by student population.^[9] At the time of the election, there were 13,194 school districts in the country, with California having 977 statewide.

Min Chang (Nonpartisan), Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan), John Jersin (Nonpartisan), and Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

Tens of thousands of elections took place in 2024 up and down the ballot, including for school board. Hall Pass, our weekly education newsletter, is your one-stop shop for helping you stay current on school board elections, education legislation, and the debates influencing state and local K-12 policies. Click here to subscribe today to get our next edition in your inbox on Wednesday.

Elections

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Candidates and results

General election

General election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education (4 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jaime Huling (Nonpartisan)	16.7	168,659
✔		Parag Gupta (Nonpartisan)	13.8	139,340
✔		Supryia Marie Ray (Nonpartisan)	12.6	127,834
✔		Matt Alexander (Nonpartisan)	12.1	122,698
		John Jersin (Nonpartisan)	12.1	122,450
	Submit photo	Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)	10.0	101,017
	Submit photo	Ann Hsu (Nonpartisan)	8.0	81,044
	Submit photo	Min Chang (Nonpartisan)	4.8	48,550
		Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)	4.5	45,736
	Submit photo	Maddy Krantz (Nonpartisan)	3.3	33,165
		Lefteris Eleftheriou (Nonpartisan)	2.2	22,285

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,012,778
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Andrew C. Edwards (Nonpartisan)
Deldelp Medina (Nonpartisan)

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: California elections, 2024

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March 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Candidate comparision

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Matt Alexander

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office:

San Francisco Unified Board of Education (Assumed office: 2021)

Biography: Alexander received a B.A. in history from Yale University and an M.A. in education from the Stanford Teacher Education Program. He worked as a community organizer at Faith in Action Bay Area and as a former teacher and principal.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

At a candidate forum, Alexander said he accomplished the following as a school board member: "increasing the amount of public comment at board meetings, writing the school district’s 'first-ever policy' to guarantee immigrant parents’ right to interpretation and translation services during Individualized Education Program meetings, and securing $8 million in city funding to expand an elementary school math program to prepare kids for algebra."

On the district's financial and staffing problems, Alexander said, "SFUSD also must stabilize our finances, fully staff our schools, and be more responsive to the needs of families. Our teachers’ union has created a public education pledge, which I support, laying out a road map to confront these and other critical challenges."

On recruiting and retaining educators, Alexander said, "I’m proud that last year I worked with my colleagues on the school board to negotiate the largest pay raise in history for our educators. In addition to increasing pay, we need to continue the work that’s just begun to make dramatic improvements to our HR department."

Show sources

Sources: Mission Local, "SFUSD school board candidates struggle to distinguish themselves on crowded stage," September 21, 2024; Mission Local, "Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024; Edutopia, "Matt Alexander," accessed October 29, 2024; Mission Local, "Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Min Chang

Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "Experience matters on the School Board, and I bring 35 years of experience in solving problems collaboratively and getting things done. This is what I do every day as CEO of a SF healthcare company with 500+ employees. Managing $1B budgets is not foreign to me. In fact, I have worked for Fortune 100 companies in six continents (speak English, French, Chinese), headed up regions and businesses, and collaborated with all types of groups to achieve financial and operational results. Having been CEO multiple times gives me the unique ability to turnaround businesses, which is what is needed given the fiscal crisis at SFUSD. I know how to grow revenues along with reducing costs. I believe strongly in education as a mother and product of public schools myself. I hold two bachelor’s degrees from Penn, two master’s from MIT and Johns Hopkins and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins. The Board needs the experience I bring to grow our schools, not close them, and bring families back to public schools as well as to push for a stronger curriculum by bringing back core subjects: math, science, languages, and the arts. Join me to make good education a right for our children."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Closing schools is not the solution; we can grow revenues and reduce costs without impacting our schools.

Raise the bar on performance by bringing back the basics of math, science, history, civics, languages and the arts. We need to keep language immersion and accelerated programs and elevate all schools.

No tolerance on bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination in school and in the community. We need our kids to feel safe in order to learn.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Virginia Cheung

Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "I am a mom. I am an educator. I am a servant leader to the public and for the public. As a single-parent I understand the stresses and worries of raising happy, successful children in San Francisco. Happiness and success is my vision for all of our children. As a daughter of refugees, I witnessed how difficult it was for my parents to assimilate in the US. They did not speak English and I did not speak Chinese. We didn’t develop a personal relationship. I was mute for the first five years in school. Luckily, I had an amazing kindergarten teacher who helped me find my voice and set me on path to become the first in my family to graduate college. I want the same encouragement for all students – nobody should rely on luck to get help. I’m a product of public schools and I benefited from early prevention programs and differentiated learning. I believe it is a right for every child to have individualized support that best suits their needs. That is to say, every child deserves an excellent education. As a candidate, I have the most broad experience working with diverse communities in San Francisco. Through my many years of education experience, I know that good strong education, adequately supported educators, and focus on our children in the classrooms works. It works to better student outcomes, it works to keep kids in school, it works to raise more resilient, capable, and successful citizens for a brighter future."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

All of our kids deserve the best quality education possible and it is our responsibility to ensure that. A quality education is one the provides children with all of the necessary skills to excel and thrive in this world. A quality education is the key closer of all other gaps. We owe our children quality education.

Early intervention and individualized support for learners that need extra help is critical. We must establish effective ways to screen students for needs and take culturally appropriate approaches in meeting those needs.

Our budget must reach the classrooms. We must work together with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that resources are focused on students and teachers.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Parag Gupta

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Gupta received a B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago and an M.P.P. in social entrepreneurship, venture philanthropy, and political advocacy from Harvard Kennedy School. He served as the chief program officer at Mercy Housing.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Gupta said, "We have challenging times ahead of us, with looming school closures, a potential state takeover, and a growing achievement gap. We need school board members who can hit the ground running from day one. I am one of those candidates."

On the district's financial issues, Gupta said, "My top priority is to demonstrate the school district is serious in remedying the projected $421 million deficit so we may avert a total state takeover. ... Executing on the [Resource Alignment Initiative] plan to achieve the projected cost savings, minimize impact on families, and hold SFUSD accountable to fulfill the strategy will be critical."

On recruiting and retaining educators, Gupta said, "First, let’s defray our educators’ largest cost: housing. We must build additional teacher housing. ... As an affordable housing director, I have the experience to help lead this. Second, even as we cut central expenses, we must further invest in Human Resources so we can handle any HR issues educators may have in a timely manner."

Show sources

Sources: Mission Local, "Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024; YouTube, "Parag Gupta - Candidate for Board of Education," September 10, 2024; LinkedIn, "Parag G.," accessed October 29, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Jaime Huling

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Huling received a B.A. in history from Northwestern University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. She served as a supervising deputy city attorney for Oakland, California.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Huling said, "SFUSD is closing schools and is on the verge of being taken over by the state after years of financial mismanagement. I’m running to ensure we balance the budget to prioritize equity and excellence, and ensure all of our kids have the opportunities and supports they deserve."

On the district's financial issues, Huling said, "The sad truth is that we’re on the verge of state takeover due to our budget woes. No one wants school closures, but if we don’t make the hard decisions, the state will make them for us. I’ll fight for families to ensure that fewer schools means fully-staffed, fully-enrolled, fully-funded schools in all neighborhoods."

On recruiting and retaining educators, Huling said, "Schools recruited, hired, and announced the arrival of needed educators and staff, just to rescind offers after our state fiscal watchdogs told us the positions couldn’t be funded. ... I’ll negotiate with the state to ensure that key positions are prioritized and filled promptly. I’ll also hold the Superintendent accountable for modernizing SFUSD HR to speed and streamline hiring."

Show sources

Sources: Mission Local, ''Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024; LinkedIn, "Jaime Huling," accessed October 29, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

John Jersin

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "Education is a deeply held value in my family. My mother grew up in poverty in Wichita Kansas. Public school math landed her a job at a bank and a way out. My father was raised by a single mom in the 1950's. Math gave him a sense of stability, and a small tax business he runs today. In third grade, my public school teacher taught me how to code. As a kid who was good at math, I loved it. By middle school I was staying up late writing computer games and sharing them with friends, and then selling them to friends. I realized I started a company, and I stuck with that too. After college I started another company in the storage closet of my friend's office. We wrote algorithms that matched people to jobs, and it worked well. Eventually, LinkedIn bought the company and asked me to run their core business unit. I had this wild experience, suddenly finding myself as a leader of a multi-billion dollar organization with thousands of people. Then I had kids, and they changed everything for me. In 2019 I started an education foundation. Now, as a parent of two young children, with an SFUSD teacher in the family, I see the crises our schools face - the financial crisis, the staffing crisis - and I want to use my experience to help every kid in our schools. As an appointee to SFUSD's CBOC I've already found millions of dollars in potential savings for our schools, and I'm ready to do more."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Balancing the budget

Fixing the staffing crisis

Restoring a focus on helping every student achieve their potential

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Laurance Lem Lee

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "My name is Laurance Lee, and I am a K-12 SFUSD graduate who has been helping to improve the district. I participated in the School Board recall from Day One, fought against protracted school closures, and pushed for new auditors as a member of the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee. I want an SFUSD system that serves all our students well, and I would be honored to receive your vote for School Board commissioner."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Get our students reading at grade level.

Balance the SFUSD budget.

Ensure safe schools where our students can thrive.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Supryia Marie Ray

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Ray received a bachelor's degree in political science and French from the University of Miami and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She was an attorney and writer.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Ray said, "I’ve been working with parents and teachers across the city to improve our schools by advocating for a better curriculum, leading outdoor learning efforts, campaigning for 8th-Grade Algebra, and working on school safety issues."

On the district's financial issues, Ray said, "The State already has the power to veto our budget decisions, and we are at risk of takeover. ... I will insist on transparency and hold administrators accountable for presenting credible budgets; developing and maintaining critical systems; and scrutinizing every dollar spent for its impact on students."

On recruiting and retaining educators, Ray said, "An error-filled payroll system or recruitment process scares people off. Potential applicants need to know that onboarding procedures and staff training are in place. ... Educators need to know the District will continue to pay competitive salaries and benefits. The District should also make paraprofessionals full-time employees (instead of part-time) and create a Career Technical Education pathway in high schools ... for students to become paraprofessionals."

Show sources

Sources: Mission Local, "Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024; Supryia Ray for School Board, "About," accessed October 29, 2024; Mission Local, "Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for San Francisco Unified Board of Education in 2024.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Closing schools is not the solution; we can grow revenues and reduce costs without impacting our schools.

Raise the bar on performance by bringing back the basics of math, science, history, civics, languages and the arts. We need to keep language immersion and accelerated programs and elevate all schools.

No tolerance on bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination in school and in the community. We need our kids to feel safe in order to learn.

Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)

All of our kids deserve the best quality education possible and it is our responsibility to ensure that. A quality education is one the provides children with all of the necessary skills to excel and thrive in this world. A quality education is the key closer of all other gaps. We owe our children quality education.

Early intervention and individualized support for learners that need extra help is critical. We must establish effective ways to screen students for needs and take culturally appropriate approaches in meeting those needs.

Our budget must reach the classrooms. We must work together with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that resources are focused on students and teachers.

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/JohnJersin.jpg

John Jersin (Nonpartisan)

Balancing the budget

Fixing the staffing crisis

Restoring a focus on helping every student achieve their potential

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/lllee.jpg

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

Get our students reading at grade level.

Balance the SFUSD budget.

Ensure safe schools where our students can thrive.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Solving homelessness and providing food, shelter and care to the most vulnerable in the city.

Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)

I am passionate about education, public health (especially outcomes for pregnant women and moms), alleviation of poverty through community and business support measures, and immigrant rights and support.

John Jersin (Nonpartisan)

Education

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

We need a school district that spends money wisely and on programs that matter, such as language immersion and needed repairs. As a member of the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee, I have succeeded in pushing to cut spending on unnecessary consultants, so that we can better serve our students.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I have always set my own path in terms of my career. I have had the privilege of working for 13 companies in 6 of the 7 continents and across every industry sector. I have over 35 years of experience and I am currently a CEO of a $65 million company. I have been successful in my career due mainly to hard work and the mentoring/coaching that I have been so lucky to have received throughout my career. In addition, my family has been and continues to support my career and my children. My parents in particular have been by my side caring for our children since they were born. Our lovely daughters are now 23 and 28; one a law student at Georgetown Law and the other a journalist with the Wall Street Journal. I value my family's guidance and support and the support from all my mentors.

Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)

I don't talk to my father much because of our language barrier but he is my inspiration everyday. Whenever times get tough, I think about the lessons he instilled in me.

He was raised by his single mother and his sister. He often tells me I look a lot like my grandma. He says, "You're also a lot like Ma Ma. She helped everyone." Because she helped everyone, she was accused of dissenting and made to suffer. I never had the opportunity to meet her.

My father was in construction so he is loud with a thick Chinese accent. He told me about being invited to play golf with potential clients even though he doesn't own any golf gear or uniform. That didn't stop him. He unintentionally provided entertainment to his hosts as a first timer on the course. He would tell me about how they laughed at him because he didn't know the rules and how to play, but he tells me, "You go anyway and don't accept anyone looking down at you. You are not less than anyone."

Every once in a while he shares stories about his journey leaving his family to swim to Hong Kong. Anyone who had the strength to leave had to make the journey. The "journey" was a thick mountain jungle terrain avoiding armed soldiers and trained military dogs during the day and traveling by foot at night for weeks, then jumping into the open ocean. Whenever I get depressed over a difficulty, I think about his lesson to me, "Just keep moving."

When I am asked where I fall on the political spectrum or how I will deal with a difficult situation, I can't help but think of my father. I fall under grit, hard work, and doing what's necessary to get to the goal. He instilled that in me and I hope to instill it in my child. I recognize the sacrifices my parents made for me to have a voice, to advocate for people like me and families like mine, and I do not take that lightly. Like him, I will keep moving.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Go to my website: voteformin.com

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Integrity and accountability

Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)

As your candidate, my top priority will be to listen to you and make sure your concerns are heard and acted on. I will set a high standard for how I serve, treating everyone with respect and bringing people from all backgrounds together to work toward solutions that benefit us all. I will lead with honesty and transparency, always taking responsibility for my actions. You deserve a representative who is accountable and works for the good of the community, and I am committed to being that leader for you.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

Honesty, transparency, and experience. I have a demonstrable track record on all three.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Integrity, collaboration, perseverance and hard work. There has not been a single challenge that I have not been able to overcome. I have turned around failing businesses and made them profitable for the first time. I have led regions and businesses and functions all over the world.

John Jersin (Nonpartisan)

Focus on students.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Advising and supporting the superintendent for SFUSD.

John Jersin (Nonpartisan)

Focus on students.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

We must listen to parents' feedback, and we must focus spending on educational outcomes. I have fought for this as an activist and budget analyst, and I will continue to do so as School Board commissioner.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

My work is now focused very much on the community. My community is S.F. and I would like to improve our public schools first and foremost. There is no reason why our public schools should not be the very best in CA. We have over $1.3B in our budget, but we need strong management and fiscal accountability to improve and grow our schools.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

I would like to see an SFUSD that provides the full educational experience that my classmates and I received.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I remember the launch of the first space shuttle in 1983; it is the year I graduated high school. I was the speaker at graduation and I spoke about all the advances that we as kids had witnessed in our lifetimes and the many more things that we would experience moving forward. I did not know then as a child but I know that now as an adult how important education was and how fundamental my public school education was to me growing up. I entered public school at age 8 and stayed with public schools through high school. I remember all my grade school teachers and what they meant to me. In those foundational years when I was figuring out who I was as a person, the confidence and support that these teachers instilled in me was priceless. It is this reason that I am running for the Board of Education. I want to do for public schools, what public schools have done for me.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I worked at Procter and Gamble right out of college (University of Pennsylvania). It was a wonderful and rewarding experience because I got to supervise 7 highly experienced individuals as part of my team. I worked in customer operations and had a chance to learn management skills at the age of 20. My father always said that managing people was the key to success and he was right. I learned that valuing and leveraging those around you and to inspire and lead them was the best way to get things done. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses and to manage with those in mind was also really important. We oversaw all of P&Gs customers in the Northeast: the supermarkets, bodegas and the retailers that carried P&G products. Customer operations handled all the shipments in terms of billing, collections, damages, returns and all forms of customer service. You really get to know the customers in our jobs. Managing my team was the best part of the job and we were a well-functioning team with lots of energy and passion for our work. I learned at a very young age that teamwork and supporting each other was a great way to succeed.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

The one that I am writing on "how to do strategy right". I am a big believer in strategic planning and have a different way of approaching strategy. I am in the process of writing this book and hope to have it published.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I would love to be a character that travels in space and explores other planets and life forms elsewhere.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Over the rainbow.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I would very much like to continue to learn and build my career as a result of it. I have 5 academic degrees: 2 bachelors, 2 masters and 1 doctorate. My dream would be to continue to go back to school and learn more and be able to work until I am unable to do so.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

To ensure that parents and school perspectives are understood and that the school system reflects this.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

We must provide a great education for our students. We cannot have unsafe schools or facilities in disrepair. We need to provide the right environment and education for students to succeed in the real world. We can accomplish this while spending money wisely.

Who are your constituents?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Key stakeholders are: parents, students, educators, communities.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

I have a broad constituency across San Francisco. I have been actively involved in improving the district for several years, and many parents agree with my concerns and solutions.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

• Bring solutions that address the near-term fiscal crisis and longer-term growth.

o Closing schools is not the answer; it will only make things worse and drive more families away from public schools. It will also make the existing schools more crowded and class sizes even larger; the schools that are targeted for closure are the smaller schools and specialty schools that are much needed in our communities. Closing schools also does not solve the budget deficit. o We need to address the fiscal crisis in the next few months and will need to make hard decisions in the near-term so that SFUSD survives; costs will need to be addressed, both direct and indirect costs. The administration’s costs have grown exponentially while enrolment has declined drastically over the past several years. We need to reduce the administration’s costs and manage the district’s assets more effectively. o In parallel, we will need to invest in the longer-term growth of enrollment, investing in schools, upgrading of our curriculum, raising performance of educators, and working with our communities to implement change. o This is solvable and I know how to do this; I do this everyday as CEO. Balancing the budget, managing multi-billion-dollar budgets and organizations of thousands is not foreign to me. I have the necessary skills and experience; I have turned around organizations many times. We need people like me who can do this and do it on Day 1. Experience matters at this time to solve the near-term fiscal crisis. • Increase enrollment and bring families back to SF public schools. o Assess the 125+ schools in our district and really understand their needs. In business we always start with the customer in mind and work backwards to develop the right solutions. The SFUSD “customers” are the families, students, teachers, and schools.

o Develop the improvement areas for each school with the “customers” and then overlay it with the SFUSD administration needs. This needs to be both a bottoms up a

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

We need to make sure every district is properly represented. We can balance our budget without disadvantaging underserved neighborhoods. Every student across SF deserves a quality education, and we must ensure that our schools are staffed properly.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Our customers are the parents, students, families, educators and communities. The best way to build these relationships is to spend time to listen and learn from them and to clearly understand their needs. Then we should build the school system that best fits their needs.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

I know how to build relationships with the community, because I have consistently done it. I was a part of the School Board recall from Day One, when it was initially unpopular. I pushed back against protracted school closures in 2021. I participated in the teacher protest against the EmPower payroll software. Time and again, I have built bridges with the community, and I will continue to do so as School Board commissioner.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Great educators are ones that can inspire as well as teach and to bring out curious minds.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I would like to bring back core subjects like math, science, history, foreign languages and the arts. In addition, we should have accelerated programs and maintain the language immersion programs. I would like to also see foreign languages being introduced earlier in a child's development. In fact, as much as possible, we should have core subjects introduced to children as soon as possible.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

We should institute zero-based budgeting and always have a balanced budget. We should also have a robust forecast and a strong strategic plan for at least 3 years.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

There should be no tolerance for bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination in our schools.

Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)

As city leaders, we must acknowledge and pledge to create safer environments for all students and teachers, including acknowledgement of present or past behaviors that may have contributed to normalizing violence, discrimination, and bias.

We must develop a citywide culture of and anti-violence, anti-discrimination, and anti-bias which includes required training for all officials, required restorative justice practices to facilitate healing, and robust services for victims citywide, with close collaboration with SFUSD administrators to ensure all entities are held accountable to providing streamlined support system that center on the victim.

We need to hold the administration accountable to establishing proper protocols for:

Grievance procedures that are immediately accessible and provide real-time systems for reporting, investigations, and resolutions. SFUSD must have reliable reporting mechanisms including an anonymous reporting system and confidential hotlines to reach counselors and support groups.

Crisis response infrastructure, which includes appropriate notification of individuals involved, parental engagement, access to peer groups, mediation, restorative justice pathways, and defined consequences to immediately isolate and remove threats on campuses.

Perpetrators to be held fully accountable and referred to mental health supports, counseling, and accept full responsibility and acknowledgement of their role in creating safer environments in all social settings, public and private.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Mental health is important and we need staff to trained to recognize as well as to address this.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I am terrible at jokes but I do believe that humor is important at work and in relationships.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

I would like to work more closely with the Mayor's office and the police and sheriff's departments to support on safety and security.

Virginia Cheung (Nonpartisan)

SFUSD must develop a district-wide culture of anti-sexual violence by establishing robust tiered intervention protocols and procedures to prevent and promptly address any instances of sexual violence and prohibit any retaliation for reporting. The school district must have a dedicated coordinator to plan preventative measures including a crisis response team, creating safe spaces for reporting, developing integrated curriculum that is age-appropriate every year of development, and a control center to deploy appropriate resources and support. Strategies should include:

Training for staff and students on recognizing, preventing, and responding to sexual harassment and violence, including trauma-informed practices. This should include bystander intervention training and 24/7 crisis response that is victim-centered to ensure the victim can take immediate action and access a support system to protect their safety.

Comprehensive sexual education that starts as early as possible. Implement consent education that includes body autonomy, principles on consent, developing healthy relationships, and setting boundaries.

Grievance procedures that are immediately accessible and provide real-time systems for reporting, investigations, and resolutions. SFUSD must have reliable reporting mechanisms including an anonymous reporting system and confidential hotlines to reach counselors and support groups.

Crisis response infrastructure, which includes appropriate notification of individuals involved, parental engagement, access to peer groups, mediation, restorative justice pathways, and defined consequences to immediately isolate and remove threats on campuses.

Perpetrators to be held fully accountable and referred to mental health supports, counseling, and accept full responsibility and acknowledgement of their role in creating safer environments in all social settings, public and private.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

ConnectedSF, The Marina Times, Sheriff Miyamoto, SFGOP, Briones Society, Log Cabin, Lincoln Club, SFYR, Republican Club of SF.

John Jersin (Nonpartisan)

San Francisco Democratic Party

United Educators of San Francisco Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi Congressman Kevin Mullin Mayor London Breed Former Mayor Mark Farrell Senator Scott Wiener Assemblymember Matt Haney District Supervisor Joe Engardio District Supervisor Rafael Mandleman District Supervisor Connie Chan District Supervisor Catherine Stefani District Supervisor Matt Dorsey Former SF Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany Board of Education President Matt Alexander Board of Education Member Alida Fisher Former SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews City College Board of Trustees President Alan Wong TogetherSF GrowSF Alice B Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Asian Americans Rise 3.14 Action

United Democratic Club

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Students should learn in a safe and secure environment and one that encourages engagement with educators and peers.

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

SFUSD closed schools for over 2 years. This was detrimental to our students and parents.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

See above.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

We should see our educators and staff as talent within an organization and to plan out a career path for them as well as to support them to be able to live and teach in S.F.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Min Chang (Nonpartisan)

Need to improve this significantly.

Laurance Lem Lee (Nonpartisan)

The School Board must be transparent and accountable, and currently it is failing to live up to this. Our parents need to know that they can trust us. I have done the work, listened to parents, and will always be honest about what our district needs.

Voting information

What was the voter registration deadline?

In-person: November 5, 2024
By mail: Postmarked by October 21, 2024
Online: October 21, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

By mail: Postmarked by November 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters? Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates? October 7, 2024 - November 4, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.^[10]^[11]

When were polls open on Election Day? 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please let us know.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorser	Matt Alexander	Parag Gupta	Jaime Huling	John Jersin	Supryia Marie Ray
Government officials
Rep. Kevin Mullin (D) ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3		✔	✔	✔
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) ^source 1 ^source 2		✔		✔
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D) ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4		✔	✔	✔	✔
Assemblymember Matt Haney (D) ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3		✔	✔	✔
Assemblymember Phil Ting (D) ^source 1 ^source 2	✔				✔
San Francisco Mayor London Breed ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4		✔	✔	✔	✔
SFUSD Board President Matt Alexander ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3		✔	✔	✔
California Controller Malia Cohen (D) ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4	✔	✔	✔	✔
California Treasurer Fiona Ma (D) ^source 1 ^source 2		✔			✔
Newspapers and editorials
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3		✔	✔		✔
Organizations
Grow SF ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4		✔	✔	✔	✔
Moms Demand Action ^source 1 ^source 2		✔	✔
National Union of Healthcare Workers ^source	✔
San Francisco Democratic Party ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4		✔	✔	✔	✔
San Francisco Labor Council ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4	✔	✔	✔	✔
San Francisco Women's Political Committee ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3	✔	✔	✔
Together SF ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4		✔	✔	✔	✔
United Educators of San Francisco ^source 1 ^source 2 ^source 3 ^source 4	✔	✔	✔	✔

Campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the City and County of San Francisco Ethics Commission. Click here to access those reports.

About the district

See also: San Francisco Unified School District, California

The San Francisco Unified School District is located in San Francisco County, California.

District map

School district map

Overlapping state house districts

San Francisco Unified School District
Office Name	Current Officeholder	Party	% School District Covered	% Other District Covered
California State Assembly District 19	Catherine Stefani	Democratic Party	68%	84%
California State Assembly District 17	Matt Haney	Democratic Party	32%	100%

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.^[12]

Revenue
Expenditures

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$183,203,000	$3,723	12%
Local:	$871,073,000	$17,703	57%
State:	$478,291,000	$9,721	31%
Total:	$1,532,567,000	$31,147

Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$1,332,155,000	$27,074
Total Current Expenditures:	$1,163,890,000	$23,654
Instructional Expenditures:	$696,943,000	$14,164	52%
Student and Staff Support:	$197,653,000	$4,017	15%
Administration:	$139,471,000	$2,834	10%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$129,823,000	$2,638	10%
Total Capital Outlay:	$116,341,000	$2,364
Construction:	$114,216,000	$2,321
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$334,000	$6
Interest on Debt:	$40,959,000	$832

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024	48,736	-0.1
2022-2023	48,785	-0.9
2021-2022	49,204	-5.3
2020-2021	51,790	-2.0
2019-2020	52,811	0.6
2018-2019	52,498	-14.8
2017-2018	60,263	0.2
2016-2017	60,133	2.1
2015-2016	58,865	0.8
2014-2015	58,414	1.4
2013-2014	57,620	1.1
2012-2013	56,970	1.2
2011-2012	56,310	1.3
2010-2011	55,571	0.8
2009-2010	55,140	-0.1
2008-2009	55,183	0.2
2007-2008	55,069	-2.0
2006-2007	56,183	-0.1
2005-2006	56,236	-1.6
2004-2005	57,144	-1.2
2003-2004	57,805	-0.7
2002-2003	58,216	-0.6
2001-2002	58,566	-2.4
2000-2001	59,979	-1.5
1999-2000	60,896	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE	San Francisco Unified School District (%)	California K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.2	0.4
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	35.5	12.1
Black	6.0	4.9
Hispanic	32.1	56.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.7	0.4
Two or More Races	11.9	5.8
White	13.5	20.2

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

As of the 2023-2024 school year, San Francisco Unified School District had 2,364.06 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 20.62.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	0.00
Kindergarten:	219.36
Elementary:	1,348.15
Secondary:	796.55
Total:	2,364.06

San Francisco Unified School District employed 54.25 district administrators and 159.66 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	54.25
District Administrative Support:	0.00
School Administrators:	159.66
School Administrative Support:	159.15

Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	851.09
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	64.44
Total Guidance Counselors:	93.29
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	35.01
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	45.95
Librarians/Media Specialists:	35.85
Library/Media Support:	0.00
Student Support Services:	234.58
Other Support Services:	519.57

Schools

The San Francisco Unified School District operates 113 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools
SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Academy (The)- Sf @Mcateer	265	9-12
Alamo Elementary	393	KG-5
Alvarado Elementary	518	KG-5
Aptos Middle	857	6-8
Argonne Elementary	368	KG-5
Asawa (Ruth) Sf Sch Of The Arts A Public School	680	9-12
Balboa High	1,251	9-12
Brown Jr. (Willie L) Middle	313	6-8
Bryant Elementary	240	KG-5
Buena Vista/ Horace Mann K-8	585	KG-8
Burton (Phillip And Sala) Academic High	1,031	9-12
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec	557	KG-8
Carver (George Washington) Elementary	97	KG-5
Chavez (Cesar) Elementary	411	KG-5
Chinese Immersion School At Deavila	382	KG-5
Chin (John Yehall) Elementary	253	KG-5
Clarendon Alternative Elementary	529	KG-5
Cleveland Elementary	306	KG-5
Cobb (William L.) Elementary	137	KG-5
Cooper (Sarah B.) Children Center	0
Denman (James) Middle	790	6-8
Downtown High	147	9-12
Drew (Charles) College Preparatory Academy	187	KG-5
El Dorado Elementary	123	KG-5
Everett Middle	467	6-8
Feinstein (Dianne) Elementary	383	KG-5
Flynn (Leonard R.) Elementary	383	KG-5
Francisco Middle	511	6-8
Galileo High	1,741	9-12
Garfield Elementary	191	KG-5
Giannini (A.P.) Middle	1,193	6-8
Glen Park Elementary	321	KG-5
Grattan Elementary	384	KG-5
Guadalupe Elementary	279	KG-5
Harte (Bret) Elementary	247	KG-5
Havard (Leola M.) Early Education	0
Hillcrest Elementary	328	KG-5
Hoover (Herbert) Middle	948	6-8
Huerta (Dolores) Elementary	381	KG-5
Independence High	197	9-12
Jefferson Elementary	502	KG-5
Jordan (June) School For Equity	206	9-12
Key (Francis Scott) Elementary	562	KG-5
King Jr. (Martin Luther) Academic Middle	371	6-8
King (Thomas Starr) Elementary	335	KG-5
Lafayette Elementary	474	KG-5
Lakeshore Alternative Elementary	421	KG-5
Las Americas Children Center	0
Lau (Gordon J.) Elementary	650	KG-5
Lawton Alternative	601	KG-8
Lee (Edwin And Anita) Newcomer	12	KG-5
Lick (James) Middle	476	6-8
Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary	670	KG-8
Lincoln (Abraham) High	2,037	9-12
Longfellow Elementary	454	KG-5
Lowell High	2,540	9-12
Mahler (Theresa S.) Children Center	0
Malcolm X Academy	105	KG-5
Marina Middle	654	6-8
Marshall Elementary	247	KG-5
Marshall (Thurgood) High	477	9-12
Mccoppin (Frank) Elementary	242	KG-5
Mckinley Elementary	247	KG-5
Mclaren (John) Children Centers	28	KG-KG
Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary	154	KG-5
Miraloma Elementary	350	KG-5
Mission Education Center	124	KG-5
Mission High	1,084	9-12
Monroe Elementary	522	KG-5
Moscone (George R.) Elementary	352	KG-5
Muir (John) Elementary	226	KG-5
New Traditions Elementary	254	KG-5
Noriega Children Center	44	KG-KG
O'Connell (John) High	483	9-12
Ortega (Jose) Elementary	374	KG-5
Parker (Jean) Elementary	125	KG-5
Parks (Rosa) Elementary	344	KG-5
Peabody (George) Elementary	270	KG-5
Presidio Early Ed.	0
Presidio Middle	980	6-8
Redding Elementary	246	KG-5
Revere (Paul) Elementary	463	KG-8
Rooftop Elementary	570	KG-8
Roosevelt Middle	657	6-8
Sanchez Elementary	275	KG-5
San Francisco Community Alternative	274	KG-8
San Francisco Public Montessori	112	KG-5
San Miguel Children Center	0
Serra (Junipero) Elementary	260	KG-5
S.F. International High	392	8-12
Sheridan Elementary	190	KG-5
Sherman Elementary	282	KG-5
Sloat (Commodore) Elementary	381	KG-5
Spring Valley Elementary	214	KG-5
Stevenson (Robert Louis) Elementary	438	KG-5
Stockton (Commodore) Children Center	22	KG-KG
Sunnyside Elementary	350	KG-5
Sunset Elementary	403	KG-5
Sutro Elementary	248	KG-5
Taylor (Edward R.) Elementary	588	KG-5
Tenderloin Community	278	KG-5
Tule Elk Park Children Center	89	KG-KG
Ulloa Elementary	521	KG-5
Visitacion Valley Elementary	263	KG-5
Visitacion Valley Middle	311	6-8
Wallenberg (Raoul) Traditional High	551	9-12
Washington (George) High	2,008	9-12
Webster (Daniel) Elementary	356	KG-5
Weill (Raphael) Children Center	0
Wells (Ida B.) High	179	9-12
West Portal Elementary	590	KG-5
Yick Wo Elementary	199	KG-5
Yu (Alice Fong) Elementary	589	KG-8

Election history

See also: San Francisco Unified School District, California and San Francisco Unified School District, California, elections

2022

General election

General election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lisa Weissman-Ward (Nonpartisan)	21.9	149,996
✔	Submit photo	Lainie Motamedi (Nonpartisan)	19.3	132,088
✔		Alida Fisher (Nonpartisan)	17.7	121,292
	Submit photo	Ann Hsu (Nonpartisan)	17.1	117,152
		Gabriela Lopez (Nonpartisan)	13.1	89,385
		Karen Fleshman (Nonpartisan)	10.8	73,744

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 683,657
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Phil Kim (Nonpartisan)

2020

General election

General election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education (4 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jenny Lam (Nonpartisan)	17.0	195,270
✔		Mark Sanchez (Nonpartisan)	17.0	194,810
✔	Submit photo	Kevine Boggess (Nonpartisan)	15.3	175,302
✔		Matt Alexander (Nonpartisan)	13.0	149,212
		Alida Fisher (Nonpartisan)	12.5	143,685
	Submit photo	Michelle Parker (Nonpartisan)	10.3	117,434
	Submit photo	Nick Rothman (Nonpartisan)	5.0	56,993
	Submit photo	Genevieve Lawrence (Nonpartisan)	5.0	56,878
	Submit photo	Andrew Alston (Nonpartisan)	2.9	33,122
	Submit photo	Paul Kangas (Nonpartisan)	2.0	22,720

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,145,426
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2019

General election

Special general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education

Incumbent Jenny Lam defeated Kirsten Strobel and Robert Coleman in the special general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jenny Lam (Nonpartisan)	73.6	121,154
	Submit photo	Kirsten Strobel (Nonpartisan)	15.8	26,036
		Robert Coleman (Nonpartisan)	10.6	17,395

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 164,585
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

General election

General election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Alison Collins (Nonpartisan)	15.0	122,865
✔		Gabriela Lopez (Nonpartisan)	13.7	112,299
✔		Faauuga Moliga (Nonpartisan)	13.2	107,989
		Phil Kim (Nonpartisan)	9.3	76,017
	Submit photo	Michelle Parker (Nonpartisan)	8.0	65,740
	Submit photo	Li Miao Lovett (Nonpartisan)	7.5	61,412
	Submit photo	John Trasvina (Nonpartisan)	5.7	46,601
		Alida Fisher (Nonpartisan)	4.6	37,735
	Submit photo	Monica Chinchilla (Nonpartisan)	4.2	34,193
	Submit photo	Lenette Thompson (Nonpartisan)	3.7	30,496
	Submit photo	Josephine Zhao (Nonpartisan)	3.4	27,761
	Submit photo	Mia Satya (Nonpartisan)	2.1	17,540
	Submit photo	Paul Kangas (Nonpartisan)	1.7	13,967
	Submit photo	Darron Padilla (Nonpartisan)	1.6	12,950
		Martin Rawlings-Fein (Nonpartisan)	1.5	12,439
	Submit photo	Connor Krone (Nonpartisan)	1.5	12,251
		Roger Sinasohn (Nonpartisan)	1.5	12,018
		Lex Leifheit (Nonpartisan)	1.2	9,605
	Submit photo	Phillip House (Nonpartisan)	0.3	2,491
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	1,551

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 817,920
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

San Francisco Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Matthew Haney Incumbent	18.89%	175,803
Mark Sanchez	16.73%	155,706
Stevon Cook	16.37%	152,335
Rachel Norton Incumbent	13.86%	129,012
Jill Wynns Incumbent	10.16%	94,571
Trevor McNeil	9.27%	86,233
Phillip Kim	6.99%	65,045
Ian Kalin	4.81%	44,788
Rob Geller	2.75%	25,617
Write-in votes	0.16%	1,482
Total Votes		930,592
Source: San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed December 7, 2016

2014

San Francisco Unified School District,
At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Emily M. Murase Incumbent	18.7%	80,877
	Nonpartisan	Shamann Walton	16.6%	71,629
	Nonpartisan	Hydra Mendoza-McDonnell Incumbent	12.3%	52,998
	Nonpartisan	Trevor McNeil	11.7%	50,642
	Nonpartisan	Stevon Cook	11.7%	50,559
	Nonpartisan	Dennis Yang	8.5%	36,535
	Nonpartisan	Lee Hsu	8%	34,442
	Nonpartisan	Jamie Rafaela Wolfe	6.4%	27,727
	Nonpartisan	Mark Murphy	5.8%	25,050
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.3%	1,154
Total Votes				431,613
Source: City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 4, 2014 Official Election Results," accessed January 2, 2015

2024 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:

External links

Footnotes

[1] San Francisco Chronicle, "S.F. school board candidates focus on avoiding state takeover," October 25, 2024

[stakes-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 San Francisco Examiner, "Crowded school-board race highlights what’s at stake for SFUSD families," October 6, 2024

[3] San Francisco Examiner, "Special education a focus as school board race nears finish," October 26, 2024

[4] SFIST, "Four Seats Up for Grabs to Serve on School Board for the Incredibly Chaotic SFUSD," November 1, 2024

[progressive-5] San Francisco Chronicle, "Détente or political ploy? S.F. teachers union endorses moderate board candidates," June 10, 2024

[endorsements-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Mission Local, "Graphic: Who is supporting whom for SFUSD school board?" July 23, 2024

[meet-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 ^7.4 Mission Local, "Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race," July 10, 2024

[8] LinkedIn, "Jaime Huling," accessed October 29, 2024

[9] California Department of Education, "Largest Districts," accessed October 31, 2024

[10] California Secretary of State, "What to Bring to Your Polling Place," accessed August 12, 2024

[11] BARCLAYS OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, "Section 20107," accessed August 12, 2024

[12] National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025

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San Francisco Unified School District, California, elections (2024)

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General election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education (4 seats)

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