This story by Jill Tucker ran in the San Francisco Chronicle on July 3, 2023:
As in many districts across California, the needs of city students have only increased in the wake of the pandemic, while other costs — namely pension payments — are skyrocketing, and teachers unions are demanding higher salaries to stem the exodus of educators.
Yet in San Francisco, the school board has been spending more than it receives in revenue for years, relying on a flush state budget, savings and pandemic recovery funds to make ends meet.
That breathing room is about to expire.
In coming years, the district’s financial situation is expected to become far more precarious. The combination of lower revenue connected to declining enrollment and the threat of a teacher strike over wages would be bad enough, and a slowing state economy offers little hope of reprieve.