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Phil Kim wins reelection to San Francisco school board as two seats remain undecided

Phil Kim wins reelection to San Francisco school board as two seats remain undecided

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

The board will oversee a district of 49,000 students facing school closures and a new enrollment system.

Yesterday: Phil Kim reelected; two seats undecided

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Phil Kim won reelection to the San Francisco school board on Tuesday, but the races for two other seats remained too close to call. The results will shape a board that has already voted to replace the school lottery and is preparing to consider closing schools.

The board oversees about 49,000 students and 14,000 empty classroom seats. It also inherits a deal that ended February's teachers strike and federal investigations into district policies. The new members will decide how families are assigned to schools and whether to merge or close campuses.

Why it matters

The new board will decide whether San Francisco closes schools and how families are assigned to them, affecting 49,000 students.

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Key Indicators

3
School board seats up for election
Three seats were on the ballot; one was decided Tuesday.
8
Candidates running
Eight candidates competed for the three seats.
49,000
Students in SFUSD
The district enrolls roughly 49,000 students.
14,000
Empty classroom seats
The district has about 14,000 empty seats, driving closure discussions.
$242K
GrowSF spending
Third-party spending by GrowSF for its slate.
$135K
Teachers union spending
United Educators of San Francisco spending on its slate.

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People Involved

PK
Phil Kim
President, San Francisco Board of Education
Reelected to a full four-year term
TT
Tim Tung
Candidate for school board
Second place in early returns
AG
Autumn Brown Garibay
Candidate for school board
Third place in early returns
VC
Virginia Cheung
Candidate for school board
Fourth place in early returns
 Alida Fisher
Alida Fisher
Incumbent school board commissioner
Seventh place in early returns
MS
Maria Su
Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District
Leading district

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Board of Education
San Francisco Board of Education
Governing Body
Governing body for SFUSD

The seven-member board sets policy and hires the superintendent for San Francisco's public schools.
United Educators of San Francisco
United Educators of San Francisco
Teachers' union
Endorsed three candidates

The union represents teachers and staff in SFUSD.
GrowSF
GrowSF
Political action committee
Endorsed Kim, Garibay, Tung

A San Francisco political action committee that backs moderate candidates.
PA
SF Parents Action
Political action committee
Endorsed Kim, Garibay, Fisher

The political arm of the SF Parent Coalition, formed during the pandemic.

Timeline

2022 November 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Phil Kim reelected; two seats undecided

    Latest Election

    Kim won a full term, while Tim Tung and Autumn Brown Garibay led for the other two seats.

  2. Board votes to replace school lottery

    Policy

    The board voted 5-2 to guarantee seats at neighborhood schools.

  3. Phil Kim wins special election

    Election

    Kim defeated Virginia Cheung to keep his board seat.

  4. Teachers strike ends with deal

    Labor

    A four-day strike by the teachers union ended with a contract deal.

  5. San Francisco recalls three school board members

    Recall

    Voters removed three union-backed board members, shifting board politics toward parent groups.

Scenarios

1

Tim Tung and Autumn Brown Garibay win the two remaining seats

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: Early returns reported by The San Francisco Standard, Mission Local, and the San Francisco Chronicle

Tung and Garibay held second and third place in early returns. If their leads hold as remaining ballots are counted, the board's moderate bloc expands. The board would likely continue the neighborhood assignment system and move toward school closures.

2

Union-backed candidate captures one of the remaining seats

Possible Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local and KALW reporting on the union slate

Virginia Cheung trailed in fourth place but the teachers union spent $135,000 on its slate. If late ballots break toward Cheung, she could overtake Garibay. A union win would give the progressive bloc a seat and complicate the board's push for school closures.

3

New board approves school closure plan by June 2027

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SFUSD board statements and San Francisco Chronicle reporting

The board has said it will consider closing schools after final approval of the new assignment system. A vote to close or merge at least one school would mark the next phase of the enrollment overhaul. The timeline depends on how quickly the new board organizes in January.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2022

San Francisco school board recall (2022)

Voters recalled three union-backed members of the San Francisco school board.

Then

The recalls shifted the board's balance toward parent groups and moderate candidates.

Now

Parent groups and political action committees became more influential in school board races.

Why this matters now

The 2026 election tests whether that shift continues.

February 2026

SFUSD teachers strike (2026)

The teachers union went on a four-day strike. The district and union reached a deal that ended the strike.

Then

The deal became a backdrop for the 2026 school board election.

Now

The union endorsed a slate of candidates and spent $135,000 on the race.

Why this matters now

Union-backed candidates are trying to translate strike momentum into board seats.

Sources

(4)
The San Francisco Standard Mission Local San Francisco Chronicle (via Yahoo) KALW