Last year, San Francisco schools lost around 1,000 students, a loss of $5 million in funding. Thursday evening’s special meeting at Everett Middle School was to be the last venue for schools to state their case before the board made a final decision in time for new parents to begin selecting schools in next year’s lottery.

The board’s decision followed more than five hours of emotional testimony from opponents of various aspects of the consolidation plan. Much of the testimony from parents, teachers, and students focused on statistics and anecdotes reflecting what students and parents continue to assert are quality schools. The raucous, standing room-only crowd employed a plethora of creative methods to implore the board to save their programs, including colorful signs, t-shirts, multi-lingual presentations, and local celebrities.

The meeting came to a standstill for several minutes when San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, a vocal opponent of school closures, came to the podium with an offer from the Board of Supervisors of a loan to allow the school district to take more time to consider its options.

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