San Francisco public schools are in for a boost in the form of millions of dollars.
San Francisco Unified School District is set to receive $123.4 million collected from property owners, three years after the money was frozen while courts decided whether the tax was legally authorized by voters.
The money comes at a crucial moment, as the district faces a $125 million deficit in the next school year, however, the millions will not cover all of the shortfall as much of it must first be repaid to the city.
Since 2018, $150 million has been collected and placed on hold. Of that, the district will repay $26.6 million to the city and another $40 million to the Rainy Day Fund, officials said. Another $30 million must be spent on educator salaries, training and technology, leaving $53 million for the district to use as it best sees fit.
SFUSD can thank the Proposition G-Living Wages for Educators Act parcel tax passed in 2018 for the helping hand.
"This ruling is a huge victory for San Francisco public schools and represents the will of the voters of San Francisco," Superintendent Vince Matthews said in a statement. "We will continue to work with our community to determine next steps in balancing our budget and ensuring these funds are used for their intended purposes."
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