​Vincent Matthews, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools 555 Franklin Street, Room 301​ ​ San Francisco, CA 94102 PH: (415) 241-6121​ ​ Email: matthewsv@sfusd.edu April 13, 2020 The Honorable Phil Ting Assemblymember, CA AD-19 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 14600 San Francisco, CA 94102 Dear Assemblymember Ting: I hope you are safe and well during these turbulent times. All of us at SFUSD are working as hard as we can to support our students and families during the COVID-19 crisis with access to meals, laptops and internet access, distance learning resources, and regular information updates. As you know, we have simultaneously been contending with significant budget challenges which will only intensify as tax revenues diminish as a result of the pandemic. I am writing to ask for some specific support: ● We understand that the Prop. 98 guarantee will be impacted by the current budget conditions. We ask that you maintain the position that the state adopt a 2020-21 “workload budget” for K-12 that would allow districts to continue to operate core education programs at current levels (2019-20 funding adjusted for growth and COLA). In this crisis, and particularly with the educational disruption during this school year, Prop. 98 formulas should not determine what is minimally necessary to keep our schools functioning. An approach that holds K-12 schools to the 2020-21 Prop 98 minimum guarantee will ​not​ fund a workload budget, and will not maintain core educational programs for our students. ● We are respectfully requesting that the Legislature statutorily suspend STRS increases for school employers for two years, 2020-21 and 2021-22. This is one of the few things the state can do that will prevent school cuts without increasing Prop. 98 funding or allocating funds from the non-Prop. 98 side of the budget. These STRS employer rate increases have posed serious challenges for us even during times of reliable income. Now, facing the prospects of less revenue growth, paying those increases places an additional burden on our resources, and directly impacts what we can do for our students.   Please also note that SFUSD Classified employees do not participate in CalPERS, so that relief provided to CalPERS school employer rates will not provide any fiscal benefit for our district. ● It would be very helpful if you can request that the Legislative Analyst reflect in any prospective reports regarding K-12 education an analysis of the baseline requirements to ensure that schools can deliver quality educational services through the next fiscal year. Too often in the past, the LAO and others have presented options during bad fiscal periods that were limited by the parameters of Proposition 98 minimum funding, without consideration of impacts to the basic educational program. We are grateful that you and your colleagues have made K-12 schools a priority from the very outset of this crisis, and our schools have risen to the challenges we face. By maintaining at least a baseline, current-year level of support for schools, we can ensure that the most basic level of services are protected for students. This will almost certainly require funding beyond a dramatically falling Prop 98 guarantee. But a no-increase, workload budget will be essential for our schools. If my staff and I can provide any additional information to you or your colleagues, please let me know. Respectfully, Dr. Vincent Matthews Superintendent cc: San Francisco Board of Education Commissioners            2