PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
October 12, 2024

Contact
Abby Davis, Sutro PTA President
(415) 890-5777
keep.sutro.open@gmail.com

SFUSD PROPOSED FORCED CLOSURE OF ONE OF CALIFORNIA'S DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS, THE ONLY CANTONESE BILITERACY AND TITLE 1 SCHOOL IN THE RICHMOND
Sutro Elementary School, attended primarily by students of low-income working families and Chinese immigrants, faces inequitable, unreasonable, and unsafe closure along with 12 other SFUSD schools

Events:

Keep Sutro Open Community Outreach
Sunday, October 13, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Clement St. and 4th Ave., San Francisco, CA
Clement Street Farmers Market

SFUSD Family Meeting
Wednesday, October 16, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 
Sutro Elementary School
235 12th Avenue, San Francisco, CA
SFUSD Meeting with Superintendent Matthew Wayne

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The Sutro Elementary School community is fighting to remain open after an unfair closure proposed by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Despite 87% enrollment, being recognized as a 2023 California Distinguished School (1 of only 5 in SF) and ranked #4 as a Niche Standout Elementary School in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sutro Elementary is on the district's proposed closure list.

"It's shocking and disheartening that SFUSD is targeting a thriving school with a proven track record of success," says Abby Davis, VA nurse, parent, and president of the Sutro PTA. "Our school is a vital part of the community, providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population.”

Sutro Elementary is the only Title I school in the Richmond District and boasts a successful  Cantonese Biliteracy Program. No other proposed closure or merger forces students to travel as far to attend other schools. Closing Sutro would disrupt the education of the students and fragment the Sutro community. Additionally, merging the biliteracy program with another program 2.5 miles away places an undue burden on families and undermines the program's effectiveness.

“If the criteria for school closures is based on equity, how is it fair to shut down a school with a Cantonese Biliteracy Program and the only Title I school in the Richmond District?” is a question asked by many members of the Sutro community. The Sutro community is angry and confused by SFUSD's proposal because the school boasts above-district average test scores in reading and math, enjoys a distinguished school reputation, and has a fully-staffed faculty with exceptionally low turnover.

The demographics of Sutro Elementary further highlight the inequality of the proposed closure:

• 60.3% Socioeconomically Disadvantaged (SFUSD avg 51%)

• 51.1% English Language Learners (SFUSD avg 29%)

• 74% Asian, 10% White, 6% Latino, 7% Two or more races

These statistics underscore the vital role that Sutro Elementary plays in serving a diverse and underprivileged community. Closing the school would disproportionately impact students and families and exacerbate existing disparities. 

The Sutro community is calling on SFUSD to reconsider its decision and prioritize the needs of its students. "We believe the district’s composite scoring methodology is flawed, lacks transparency, and unfairly targets Sutro,” said Elaine Kan, parent of a Sutro 1st-grade biliteracy student, at a recent community meeting. "We will continue to fight for our school and community."

The public is encouraged to join the Sutro community at the following events:

• Sunday, October 13, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Clement Street Farmers Market, corner of 4th and Clement, San Francisco, CA

• Wednesday, October 16, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.: SFUSD Meeting with Superintendent Matt Wayne at Sutro ES, 235 12th Avenue, San Francisco, CA

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Keep Sutro Open is a collective of parents, teachers, alumni, and community members dedicated to preserving Sutro Elementary School, a small, inclusive, high-performing school in San Francisco. Established in 1894, Sutro Elementary houses the only Cantonese biliteracy program in the city’s westside and is the only Title I school in the Richmond District. Sutro ensures that all Sutro Scholars enjoy an equal opportunity to succeed in school, regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, or ability level. Learn more at sutroelementary.com

新聞稿 

請即發稿
2024年10月12日

聯絡人
Abby Davis - 蘇卓小學 家長教師會主席
(415) 890-5777
keep.sutro.open@gmail.com 

三藩市聯合校區提議強制關閉加州一所卓越學校，
該校是社區中唯一的廣東話雙語和Title 1學校。

Sutro 小學（蘇卓小學），主要由低收入家庭和華裔移民的學生就讀，正面臨不平等、不合理和不安全的關閉，與另外12所SFUSD學校一同被提議關閉。

活動信息：
守護Sutro社區外展活動
時間和地點：週日，10月13日，上午10:00 - 下午1:00
三藩市列治文區Clement街與四街，Clement街農夫市場

SFUSD家庭會議
時間和地點：週三，10月16日，下午6:30 - 8:30
Sutro小學，三藩市列治文區12街235號
與三藩市聯合校區校監Matthew Wayne的SFUSD會議

三藩市，加州--Sutro小學社區正為三藩市聯合校區（SFUSD）提出的不公平閉校而奮鬥。儘管有94%的入學率，並被認定為2023年加州優秀學校1（三藩市僅有的五所學校之一），在三藩市灣區的Niche傑出小學排名中獲第四名，但Sutro小學卻在校區提議的閉校名單上。

「三藩市聯合校區針對一所成功學校的行為令人震驚和沮喪。」家長和Sutro家教會主席Abby Davis表示。「我們的學校是社區非常重要的一部分，為多元化的學生群組提供高質量的教育。」

Sutro小學是列治文區唯一獲聯邦政府資助的 Title 1 學校，並擁有成功的廣東話雙語教育。除了Sutro小學外，沒有其他提議關閉或合併的學校學生被迫長途跋涉到其他學校就讀。關閉Sutro小學將大大擾亂學生的教育及破壞Sutro社區。此外，將廣東話雙語教育與2.5英里外的其他教育計劃合併，對家庭造成極大的負擔，並削弱廣東話雙語教育的有效性。

「如果關閉學校的標準是基於公平，那麼關閉列治文區唯一擁有廣東話雙語計劃和的Title 1學校的行為怎麼能算公平？」這是許多Sutro學校社區成員提出的問題。Sutro學校社區對三藩市聯合校區的提議感到憤怒和困惑，因為該校的閱讀和數學測試分數均高於校區平均水平，享有優秀學校的聲譽，並擁有充足的教師和職員，流失率極低。

Sutro小學的人口統計數據進一步突顯了提議關閉的非平等性：

• 60.3% 低收入家庭 （SFUSD平均51%）

• 51.1% 英語學習者（SFUSD平均29%）

• 74%亞裔，10%白人，6%拉丁裔，7%多種族

這些統計數據突顯了Sutro小學在服務多元化和弱勢社群方面所扮演的重要角色。關閉學校將對學生和家庭產生不成比例的巨大影響，並加劇現有的差距。

Sutro社區呼籲SFUSD重新考慮其決定，優先考慮學生的需求。「我們認為學區的綜合評分方法存在缺陷，缺乏透明度，並不公平地針對Sutro，」Sutro一名一年級雙語班的學生家長Elaine Kan在最近的一次社區會議上說。「我們將繼續為我們的學校和社區而奮鬥。」

鼓勵公眾參加Sutro社區的以下活動：  

• 週日，10月13日，上午10:00 - 下午1:00
  Clement街農夫市場，三藩市列治文區Clement街與四街交界

• 週三，10月16日，下午6:30 - 8:30
  Sutro小學（三藩市列治文區12街235號）
  與三藩市聯合校區校監Matt Wayne的會議

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**Keep Sutro Open** 是一個由家長、教師、校友和社區成員組成的集體，致力於保護Sutro小學（蘇卓小學），這是一所位於三藩市的小型、包容性強、有卓越表現的學校。成立於1894年，Sutro小學是三藩市西邊唯一的廣東話雙語學校，也是列治文區唯一擁有聯邦政府資助的（Title 1）學校。Sutro小學確保所有學生無論是任何種族、家庭收入、性別或學習水平都享有平等的機會。詳情請參閱sutroelementary.com 。