San Francisco schools on verge of closing over possible teachers strike

San Francisco schools will close next week if a teachers' strike occurs in the next few days, the district announced on Friday.

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Superintendent Maria Su announced that if teachers go on strike, which would be the first in nearly 50 years, schools will close. 

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Educators are expected to strike on Monday unless they reach a deal. The San Francisco Chronicle obtained emails showing that although negotiations between the United Educators of San Francisco and the district were expected to occur on Friday evening, union officials were not pleased, saying, "given the proposal we received last night it was clear the district needed more time to prepare a serious offer."

The district said that SFUSD and United Educators of San Francisco had been negotiating an agreement since March 2025. SFUSD is "grappling with a dire fiscal reality," the district said.

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"We do not want a strike," Su said. "Our goal continues to be to keep our children in classrooms. I remain hopeful that our labor partners will return to the bargaining table so that we can review this report and avoid any disruption to student learning."

The district’s panel recommended a 3% wage increase effective July 1, 2025, followed by an additional 3% increase on July 1, 2026.

Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, in a statement late Thursday said that members were disappointed in the district.

"We are incredibly disappointed in the district's continued lack of urgency here," Curiel said. "All week, we have been bombarded with the message that the district was prepared to come to the table and give us a serious proposal."

If a strike does occur, Mayor Daniel Lurie said, the city's departments will offer free meals and some extended child care services, according to KQED.