We're in an education emergency
We can tell the future by how kids are treated in the present
In August 2002 I started my first day of kindergarten at the oldest operating public school in California, Spring Valley Science Elementary. Located in Nob Hill, an area of San Francisco with some of the steepest hills and named after the term "nabob," referring to wealthy individuals, which reflects the area’s affluent history. My dad would drive across town, 5.5 miles away from Bayview, for the sake of me having a quality education.
Spring Valley Elementary filled my early academic life with enriching scholastic and artistic enrichment opportunities. (and a sprinkle of anti-Blackness from classmates) Like getting to train at the San Francisco Ballet, going to summer school at UC Berkeley, getting donated kid-sized guitars and learning how to play guitar, and dissecting animal organs with UCSF researchers. I’m especially grateful for Mrs. Rivera, the only Black teacher (at the time I went there) who was never my teacher but always looked out for me and told my dad about programs and opportunities outside of school.
Founded in 1852, Spring Valley Elementary School opened its doors to educate the growing population of children who had come to San Francisco during the Gold Rush following the enactment of the City's Free Common School Ordinance. The school’s name referred to a location in Nob Hill, where natural springs flowed. This area was known for its spring baths and was integral to the City’s early water supply system. As San Francisco expanded, the original springs were lost to development, but the name persisted.
172 years later, in October 2024, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) identified Spring Valley and twelve other schools for closure or merger. One of the interrelated factors affecting SFUSD’s decision is declining enrollment. So where are the kids? Well, due to good-ole gentrification and having the highest income inequality in the state- families that once lived here are driven out, fewer babies are being born and people moving here are childless. According to reports, since the 2017-18 school year, overall enrollment in (SFUSD) has decreased by more than 4,000 students, which has resulted in significant financial losses for the district, amounting to approximately $80 million in revenue lost due to this decline.
The fate of Spring Valley will be decided on December 10, 2024, by the SFUSD Board of Education. If approved, the changes would take effect at the beginning of the new school year in August 2025.