By Luke Thomas
November 17, 2011
Proposition H, a measure on the November 8 ballot that aimed to change San Francisco Unified School District student assignment policy to place the highest priority on assigning students to a school closest to home, has failed.
According to final results published today by the San Francisco Department of Elections, Prop H failed to pass by 115 votes. The measure was previously leading with a small margin but failed after all ballots, including provisional ballots, were processed.
The final tally: Yes, 91,514 votes (49.97%); No, 91,629 (50.03%).
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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The Hunger Site
November 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm
SF schools’ reputations are so bad that parents are doing their own research and leg work to find the best schools for their kids, and then do everything they can to get them in those schools. Ask Leland Yee. Unfortunately, local schools provide the best opportunity for the most parents to be involved with their childrens’ education. Segregation was a bigger issue when the Bayview was black, the Mission was Latino and the Sunset and Richmond were white, as they were through the 80’s. Now, they are less so.
November 19, 2011 at 12:02 am
In what was mostly a heartbreaking election, Prop. H going down was a relief. And thank goodness there is a new sheriff in town by the name of Ross Mirkarimi!
The problem with Prop H is not yet over. The main proponent, Chris Miller, is a pro-corporate, anti-communities of color Republican, who is supposed to run for school board. She must be stopped! Although all three of my children have long since graduated from the SFUSD, I would never want a Meg Whitman on anyone’s Board of Education!
November 18, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Awesome! This was only advisory, but bragging rights do matter.
In truth though, the so-called “neighborhood schools” advocates already lost, because they tipped their hand. They had always gone around smugly confident that public opinion was firmly on their side, the school assignment lottery being another ‘crazy’ idea of out-of-touch progressives on the school board; the prevailing wisdom being that “neighborhood schools” had broad support, and would win handily if it was ever put to a vote.
Leaving aside the right-and-wrong of segregation vs. busing, this vote proved that the assumptions of conventional wisdom were false.