San Francisco school leaders on Tuesday unanimously rejected a Mandarin-immersion charter school application, ending months of debate over the parent-led effort to expand access to Chinese-language education.
In a 7-0 vote, the Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of the San Francisco Unified School District, denied the petition to create Dragon Gate Academy.
During a contentious two-hour debate, most school board commissioners expressed doubts about the charter proposal’s feasibility and its ability to meet educational goals.
Commissioner Supryia Ray acknowledged the proposed charter school's intent to bring more Mandarin instruction to SFUSD students, but said she worried about its broader consequences, including its impact on the district’s financial crisis, student enrollment, and overall stability.
“I'm saddened by the district's failure to meet the needs of the community,” Ray said. “I will continue to work for the expansion of Mandarin immersion within SFUSD.”
Brian Hollinger, who is leading the parent coalition behind Dragon Gate Academy, said the group will appeal to the state.
“We're disappointed. It's unfortunate,” Hollinger said. “We're not dead yet.”
In San Francisco, where more than 180,000 residents identify as Chinese, private Mandarin schools are booming. Mandarin is the dominant Chinese language spoken in China and globally, and San Francisco parents have increasingly expressed interest in enrolling their kids in SFUSD immersion programs.
Still, only two elementary schools and one middle school within the district offer limited Mandarin immersion programs. Cantonese immersion programs are far more common, reflecting the city’s early Chinese population that immigrated primarily from Guangdong.
The school board’s decision came as little surprise. The idea to open another charter was always going to face resistance in union-friendly San Francisco, where SFUSD oversees 13 charter schools. The last time SFUSD approved a new charter school was in 2014.
In August, SFUSD staff issued a scathing report that claimed Dragon Gate Academy’s June petition failed to demonstrate a clear educational program, measurable student outcomes, a teacher recruitment plan, or viable location options. It also cited weak community support for the school.
The report estimated that opening Dragon Gate Academy would divert some $5 million from SFUSD, worsening the district’s financial crisis.
“Given these numerous factors, staff concludes that the petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to serve the interests of the entire community and recommends denial under Education Code,” the report stated.
Hollinger said in the meeting that he disagreed with the concerns and blasted the staff report as “very biased against charters.”
Earlier this summer, SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su proposed the district’s own Mandarin-immersion program shortly after parents submitted the Dragon Gate Academy petition, a timing that made the move appear aimed at blocking the charter effort. Su has denied that, saying the district had been working on the plan for months.
Abby Chao, a charter school supporter who spoke in favor of Dragon Gate Academy at the meeting, said both the parents' proposal and the district's plan should move forward.
“More opportunities are better,” Chao said. “Language immersion programs are reasons that families stay in San Francisco.”