San Francisco Schools May Close Due to Potential Teacher Strike

Next week could see schools in San Francisco shut down if a teacher strike happens, as announced by the district on Friday.

Maria Hsu, the Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), indicated that this would be the first teacher strike in almost 50 years. If no agreement is reached, educators are expected to strike on Monday.

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Negotiations between the San Francisco Union of Educators and the district were scheduled for Friday night. However, some internal communications revealed concerns among union officials, who stated, “It’s clear that the district needs more time to prepare a serious proposal.”

The SFUSD has been in negotiations with the United Educators of San Francisco since March 2025. The district noted that they are facing significant financial difficulties.

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Hsu expressed a desire to avoid a strike, emphasizing, “Our goal remains to keep kids in the classroom. We’re looking forward to reviewing this report and encouraging our labor partners to continue negotiations to ensure student learning is not disrupted.”

The district’s committee has suggested a 3% wage increase set to begin on July 1, 2025, followed by another 3% increase the following year.

In a statement late Thursday, Cassondra Kriel, president of the San Francisco Federation of Educators, expressed her members’ disappointment in the district’s response.

“We are very disappointed in the district’s continued lack of urgency,” Kriel said. “Over the past week, we have been bombarded with messages that the district is ready to come to the table with serious proposals.”

Mayor Daniel Lurie mentioned that city departments would step in to provide free meals and some extended childcare options if the strike goes ahead.