SCHOOL CLOSURES LOOM FOR SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED, WHERE THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS SET TO START IN UNDER A WEEK. THE DISTRICT FACES A SERIOUS DEFICIT AND A MAJOR TEACHER SHORTAGE. ABC SEVEN NEWS REPORTER LENA HOWLAND TALKED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TODAY TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT PARENTS AND STUDENTS CAN EXPECT. >> SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED STUDENTS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY WITH AROUND 120 TEACHER VACANCIES AND A CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY LOOMING. >> OVERALL, WE'RE STRETCHING OUR RESOURCES TOO THIN. >> SUPERINTENDENT MATT WAYNE SAYS BECAUSE OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT, THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE AN ADDITIONAL 14,000 STUDENTS ACROSS THEIR 102 SCHOOLS. >> IT MEANS IT'S HARDER TO STAFF OUR SCHOOLS. IT MEANS THAT A SCHOOL NEEDS TO SHARE A SOCIAL WORKER RATHER THAN JUST HAVING ONE WHO'S THERE FULL TIME. >> THAT'S WHY THE DISTRICT IS PLANNING TO CLOSE A NUMBER OF THEIR SCHOOLS TO BETTER REALIGN THEIR RESOURCES. WHILE THEY HAVEN'T SAID HOW MANY. THEY DID SAY THE RECOMMENDED LIST OF SCHOOLS WILL BE RELEASED BY SEPTEMBER 18TH, AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES WILL HAVE A CHOICE NEAR WHERE THEY LIVE TO SEND THEIR STUDENTS TO SCHOOLS. >> AND ULTIMATELY, IT WILL MEAN MORE RESOURCES AT EACH SCHOOL BY HAVING FEWER SCHOOLS THAT THEIR STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. >> VANESSA MORERO IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NONPROFIT PARENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SAN FRANCISCO. SHE SAYS HISTORICALLY, WHEN THERE ARE SCHOOL CLOSURES, RESEARCH SHOWS THERE IS A DISPLACEMENT OF STUDENTS OF COLOR, SPECIFICALLY IN SAN FRANCISCO, IT WOULD BE STUDENTS WHO ARE BLACK, STUDENTS WHO ARE WITHIN THE LATINO DIASPORA, AND THEN STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE IEPS OR DISABILITIES AND STUDENTS WHO ARE IN FOSTER CARE. IN PARTICULAR, SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT SCHOOLS IN WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS. >> THE MORE WORKING CLASS AND LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES ARE MORE ON THE BAY SIDE. AND ON THAT SIDE IS WHERE WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, EXTENSIVE SCHOOL CLOSURES. THAT MEANS THAT THE MORNING MEAL GOES AWAY, THE AFTERNOON MEAL GOES AWAY EXTENDED AFTER SCHOOL GOES AWAY. >> THE DISTRICT HEARD THOSE CONCERNS AND WILL BE WORKING WITH INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY RESEARCHERS TO DO WHAT'S CALLED AN EQUITY AUDIT ON ANY PORTFOLIO SCENARIO THE DISTRICT COMES UP WITH BEFORE ANYTHING IS APPROVED. >> SO WE'RE MAKING SURE AS WE DEVELOP OUR PLAN THAT WE'RE NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING ANY ONE COMMUNITY. THE SCHOOL BOARD IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDED LIST OF SCHOOL