What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of June 16, 2024:
- SFUSD will close and merge schools in order to address financial issues
- Our first debate for SF mayor left no clear winners
- ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ program gets downtown SF back in business
- Sober housing for those who want it
- Building toward November: Why I started GrowSF
Recent & upcoming openings:
- SFO's latest terminal officially opened with a brief ribbon-cutting Monday
School closures necessary for SFUSD’s future success

SFUSD will close and merge schools in order to address financial issues and fewer students. The decision criteria is based on equity and resource efficiency, and it includes academic performance, historical inequity, student enrollment, and teacher turnover. They’ll next discuss it at a June 25 Board of Education meeting.
This is a sobering reality, but one we must face. Due to SFUSD’s budget mismanagement and declining enrollment, California regulators have ordered San Francisco to close and merge schools to consolidate resources and shore up the budget deficit. With these changes, we can build a more effective school system.
"While I know this process is difficult, I am optimistic that it will lead us to a world-class, thriving, equity-centered school system in San Francisco," San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Matt Wayne said in a statement.
How SFUSD moves forward is on the ballot this November. Check out our Board of Education endorsements and share with your friends!
Mayor race update: Five candidates walk into a theater
San Francisco recently got its first debate for the city’s top leadership spot, and nobody loved it.
“I had the distinct impression of not being distinctly impressed,” wrote Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez for KQED.
Crime stats and housing woes were on the agenda at Sydney Goldstein Theater; We also learned that London Breed and Mark Farrell want more housing, Daniel Lurie thinks that fresh leadership is crucial, and Aaron Peskin is a curmudgeon NIMBY with nothing new to bring San Francisco.
’Vacant to Vibrant’ program gets downtown SF back in business

We’re getting new faces in our empty storefronts thanks to the program that provides free rent, expedited permitting, and additional grants to small businesses. “Vacant to Vibrant” recently saw the opening of 11 new business in downtown San Francisco, known in headlines lately for its high business closures and vacancy rates.
Backed by SF New Deal, OEWD, and Wells Fargo, the program offers unique opportunities to make it work in an exorbitantly expensive landscape. “We want people to get out, connect, and remember what makes this city so great,” said Marta Gorski of Public Glass Gallery, to the SF Standard.
A new hope for sober living in San Francisco

A new ordinance could soon require that 25 percent of all supportive housing units be drug-free in San Francisco. Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Rafael Mandelman are championing this cause after a deadly year of overdoses in the city.
This is important because there are far too few options available today for people trying to get sober. This legislation doesn’t mandate that all people in supporting housing have to be sober, it just gives them the opportunity to choose sober housing.
According to Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, 71% of the roughly 450 tenants who responded to a recent survey said they would prefer drug-free housing.
— Sam Mondros for The Standard
Building toward November: Why I started GrowSF
Our founder Sachin Agarwal tells us this week why he couldn’t just sit back and watch.
“I never expected to get into politics. When I became a dad in 2018, though, I realized that–despite having world-class weather, food, and parks–San Francisco is a really hard place to raise a family.”
Read his full blog post and why this November is more important than ever here.
Love the GrowSF Report? Share it
Help GrowSF grow! Share our newsletter with your friends. The bigger we are, the better San Francisco will be.
Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
SFO's shiny new terminal takes off
SFO's latest terminal officially opened with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, allowing travelers to swiftly pick up their luggage. Named after SF's first gay elected official, the $2.5 billion Harvey Milk Terminal 1 now boasts a spacious lobby and two more gates, bringing the count to 27.
This terminal offers enhancements like a full security checkpoint, self-serve baggage drop-off, and amenities such as water bottle filling stations and local vendors, ensuring a seamless and pleasant travel experience.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
Stop Peskin’s manipulation of San Francisco commissions
TogetherSF Action is putting a charter amendment on the November ballot to reform San Francisco's commission system and increase accountability for our elected and city officials. In response, Supervisor Peskin recently introduced a competing charter amendment on commissions meant to confuse voters and maintain the status quo.
Peskin has done more than maybe any other elected official to break San Francisco’s government—he can't be the one to fix it. Send an email to the Board of Supervisors opposing his legislation.
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
Frameline Film Festival
Frameline — the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival — returns with a lineup of compelling films that explore queer stories from around the globe.
Don’t miss out on the chance to see thought-provoking documentaries, shorts, and feature films. This festival is a cornerstone of queer culture in San Francisco, featuring panel discussions and special guest appearances.
When: June 19–29, 2024
Where: Various locations — see details
Bi-BQ Bi+ Pride Potluck Picnic
Join the bi+ community for an enjoyable potluck picnic at Mission Dolores Park. Bring along your favorite dish, salad, or drinks to contribute. Look for the bi flags to find the group and enjoy a laid-back afternoon with friendly faces. After the picnic, head over to the Eclectic Box Theater at 446 Valencia St. for the BiConic Film Festival screening at 6:30 PM.
When: June 26, 2024, 4:00 PM — 7:00 PM
Where: Mission Dolores Park, San Francisco, CA
What we’re writing about
The Castro Theatre sign is finally back with us
After months of anticipation and extensive restoration work, the Castro Theatre’s iconic neon sign is finally lighting up the night again.
Hundreds of people mobbed Castro Street for the grand reveal last night during a Juneteenth block party that also kicked off the Frameline Film Festival, our annual celebration of LGBTQ+ cinema. There was much to cheer about, with drag laureate D’Arcy Drollinger leading the ceremonial re-lighting of our beloved marquee, while feathered queens in showgirl ensembles stood overhead.
Remembering Willie Mays: A giant among Giants
Baseball legend Willie Mays died on Tuesday at his home in Palo Alto at the age of 93. He’d been battling a long illness, and his passing was peaceful, surrounded by family and close friends. His death marks the end of an era. We remember him for his extraordinary talent on the field, but also as a cherished community figure, known for his generosity, mentorship to young players, and his significant impact on the game of baseball.
San Francisco’s oldest paperback bookstore: City Lights
On a routine walk from his Mission Street studio to his home in North Beach, Lawrence Ferlinghetti had a meet-cute that would change the landscape of American literature. It was on Columbus Avenue that he crossed paths with Peter Martin, the editor of a culture magazine named after Charlie Chaplin’s iconic film, City Lights. This small meeting would soon sprout into a revolutionary idea: The country’s first all-paperback bookstore.
Are escape rooms still exciting?
At Palace Games in San Francisco, every escape room guarantees success, with themes inspired by historical events. These larger-than-life experiences we see repeated in companies the world over; You’re not just breaking out of prison anymore, you’re saving the world. One top escape room in Spain, for example, takes players through an expansive, neon-soaked cyberpunk city, replete with killer robots and seedy ramen shops. Another has you getting out of a coffin. This is our profile of Palace Games.
Want more positive news? Subscribe to The Bold Italic
Get some good vibes in your life by subscribing to The Bold Italic. It’s the sister project to GrowSF which focuses on what makes San Francisco a great place to live.