SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The NAACP hosted a town hall in San Francisco on Sunday to give families an opportunity to voice concerns over a proposed shift in public school assignments.
The discussion focused on the school district's plan to eliminate its longstanding lottery-based assignment system.
The San Francisco Unified School District school board voted last Tuesday in favor of Option C, a proposal that guarantees students a seat at their neighborhood school while allowing applications to schools with specialized language programs.
Under the current lottery system, the district assigns students to schools across the city rather than guaranteeing placement at neighborhood campuses.
Former San Francisco Unified School District parent Bivett Brackett spoke out against the proposed policy changes at Third Baptist Church during Sunday's town hall.
Brackett, who raised two children under the district's lottery system, cautioned that altering student assignment rules without addressing school quality will exacerbate inequality.
“I think it's segregation by another name. It's still segregation,” Brackett said. “I think that by passing this rule without actually redistributing resources so everyone has a good school, you're just going to create an even bigger problem.”
Diplo’s Run Club is back at its founding city: San Francisco
Dr. Maria Su, Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, speaks at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School in San Francisco, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Brackett stated that she previously pulled her children from the district due to racial discrimination and safety concerns.
“As the area became more affluent, we started seeing more instances of racism and sexual abuse. My son was a son of both,” Brackett said.
Although her children have graduated, Brackett said she is advocating for future students of color.
“I think the lottery system as it is...there are ways it could have been tweaked. But creating these segregated zones is absolutely illegal and discriminatory. If this is going to be the sentiment of the district, then we as taxpayers have a right to say no and go to the state,” she said.
Mayor Daniel Lurie expressed support for the board's decision on social media following the vote.
In response, local civil rights leaders organized to address the city's administration directly. Reverend Dr. Amos Brown and NAACP San Francisco Vice President Yulanda Williams signaled that community members intend to challenge the decision.
Brown and the NAACP planned a meeting with Lurie on Monday to discuss their concerns regarding the policy shift and reports of ongoing racism in schools.
“We're going to let him know respectfully that you are the parent of everyone in San Francisco,” Brown said.
Brown added that the organization remains steadfast in confronting discrimination within the school system.
“We are going to continue to fight this meeting today we made it clear that the NAACP is not going to tolerate anymore instances of anti-blackness or racial slurs. Hate crimes. We are just not going to tolerate it,” Brown said.
The school board is expected to take a final vote on Option C in April 2027. If the measure passes, the policy is scheduled to go into effect in 2028.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.
