San Francisco Politics and Urbanism Daily
SF reform agenda hits schools, shelters, audits and housing money
Saturday, May 2, 2026 · 9 min
San Francisco’s reform fights are getting concrete: SFUSD is finally putting school assignment and closures on a timeline, City Hall is auditing zoo mismanagement, and housing/homelessness dollars are being tested against real outcomes.
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Show notes
San Francisco’s reform fights are getting concrete: SFUSD is finally putting school assignment and closures on a timeline, City Hall is auditing zoo mismanagement, and housing/homelessness dollars are being tested against real outcomes.
In this episode
- SFUSD sets new plan: School closures by 2030, fix loathed lottery system next year — Jill Tucker
# SFUSD sets new plan: School closures by 2030, fix lottery system Published: 2026-05-01T00:41:07+00:00 Author: Jill Tucker ## Summary The San Francisco School District has announced plans to address the controversial lottery-based assignment system and potentially close or integrate schools by 2030. The announcement will be made at the May 12 school board meeting. Changes could include…
- Audit: S.F. Zoo spent $12 million without required approval — San Francisco Chronicle
Audit: S.F. Zoo spent $12 million without required approval San Francisco Chronicle LogoHearst Newspapers Logo Skip to main content JUST IN San Francisco Zoo spent $12 million without required approval, audit shows Bay Area// San Francisco # Audit: S.F. Zoo spent $12 million without required approval ## The findings come as the city is set to finalize up to $8.5 million in loans to the…
- Not a Jail. Not an Emergency Room. What Is Daniel Lurie’s New RESET Center? — KQED
# Not a Jail. Not an Emergency Room. What Is Daniel Lurie’s New RESET Center? | KQED Published: 2026-05-01T04:00:01-07:00 Type: Non-news ## Summary The RESET Center, a new facility in San Francisco designed to offer an alternative to jail and reduce space in hospitals. The facility will provide a space where individuals are brought to sober up and have access to services and healthcare. It…
- Mission District housing nonprofit MEDA cuts staff, slashes salaries as fiscal troubles mount — Mission Local
# S.F. housing nonprofit MEDA cuts staff, salaries amid fiscal trouble Published: 2026-05-01T13:00:00+00:00 Author: Sarah Hopkins ## Summary The Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), a nonprofit developer in San Francisco, has laid off 12 staffers and imposed pay cuts on remaining staff, including a 43 percent cut for its executive director. The layoffs were largely in administrative…
- Tax on big business for housing has been a huge success — 48 hills
# Tax on big business for housing has been a huge success - 48 hills Published: 2026-05-01T02:21:17+00:00 Author: Tim Redmond ## Summary The 2018 increase in taxes on the biggest businesses in San Francisco has been a success, with Mayor Daniel Lurie using a $68 million surplus from Prop. C to replace General Fund support for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). The…