SF Rising is excited to see that our endorsed local propositions, Props A, C, F, G and H have passed. Propositions L and M haven’t been officially called yet but we are hopeful they will also pass because they have a 38% and 5% lead respectively. These propositions will help San Francisco get closer to being a city that takes care of all our residents by investing in K-12 education, using a vacant homes tax to fund affordable housing, and increasing voter turnout by moving local elections to even-numbered years.
Unfortunately , we are deeply disappointed to see that Proposition O, which would have funded the City College of San Francisco through a parcel tax, did not pass.
City College is extremely important for working-class students of color as it is the only free college in our city, but CCSF has seen hundreds of layoffs and course cuts in recent years. Enrollment has dropped 40% over the past 10 years because students aren’t getting access to the classes they need to transfer to a 4-year university or earn their Associate’s Degrees. Prop O would have provided critical funds to ensure that students could take the classes they needed, get job training, and have other resources to stay enrolled.
SF Rising led a student team to talk to young voters across the city about this measure. We heard resounding support for Prop O from young people who want better access to higher education. Our canvassing reaffirmed that City College is indeed a place for so many of marginalized San Franciscans: BIPOC students, immigrant and undocumented students, adult learners, and low-income students. But with mounting opposition from The San Francisco Apartment Association, who put in nearly a million dollars to defeat Proposition O, we knew that passing this measure would be an uphill battle. We hoped to turn out enough voters who could reaffirm that investing in education is worth every penny, but the city’s biggest property owners who didn’t want to pay their fair share in taxes had the loudest voice this time around.
Despite the defeat of Prop O, we remain committed to keeping CCSF an institution for working-class students and students of color. We will continue to listen to our student base, our alliance members, and advocate for their top priorities including free college for all. We are excited about the thousands of young people we connected with about Prop O and bringing them into our movement for student liberation in San Francisco.
