On Oct. 14 the San Francisco Board of Education approved a resolution to scrap the long-standing school lottery in favor of assigning students to schools based on where they live. The move ends a system that let parents rank schools across the city, a feature meant to counteract segregation but that also attracted abuse from families who falsified addresses to secure seats at popular campuses.
District 10, the city’s most populous southeast sector, includes neighborhoods such as Bayview-Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, Visitacion Valley, Dogpatch and Sunnydale. Schools here—most notably Willie Brown Middle School—have historically suffered from underfunding and segregation. Since the lottery’s introduction, the middle school saw enrollment spikes and new programs that attracted families from outside the area. Critics argue that returning to strict neighborhood placement could revive old inequities, while supporters say it will focus resources on improving every school rather than juggling a volatile enrollment system.
Board decision and its intended impact
The board’s vote was framed as a chance to redirect municipal attention toward equitable funding for all schools, rather than managing a lottery that many families found confusing or manipulative. Vice President Jaime Huling, who backed the change, explained that a neighborhood-first approach could encourage the district to allocate resources more evenly, reducing “adversity” caused by uneven enrollment patterns. Proponents hope the shift will simplify transportation challenges that have long disadvantaged southeastern families who rely on public transit.
What neighborhood assignments could mean for District 10
Neighborhood-based placement promises more stable enrollment numbers, which could help schools retain teachers, librarians and counselors. However, the reality for many District 10 schools is that they still lack the specialized programs and language support that attracted students from other parts of the city under the lottery. If resources are not rebalanced, the change could unintentionally reinforce the very segregation the lottery sought to diminish.
Stakeholders point out that under the lottery, some children traveled miles to attend schools with better facilities, while others were left on waiting lists for their first-choice campuses. The new system would theoretically eliminate those commutes, but only if every neighborhood school receives sufficient funding to meet diverse student needs.
Candidate perspectives
J.R. Eppler, a 46-year-old small-business attorney who has lived in Potrero Hill since 2010, supports neighborhood assignments. He argues that “every neighborhood deserves a fully resourced school” and warns that reliance on the lottery has left District 10 schools struggling with under-enrollment. Eppler pledges to protect the Student Success Fund and the Public Education Enrichment Fund, emphasizing that “a child’s address should never limit their opportunity.” His endorsements include the Harvey Milk Democratic Club and the California Working Families Party.
Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter, a 43-year-old former CEO of Young Community Developers, opposes the shift. He contends that moving to neighborhood-only placement before equitable resources are in place would deepen racial and economic segregation in the southeast. Brookter stresses that “every child deserves access to a quality education, regardless of their ZIP code or family income,” and calls for a citywide investment in all schools before any assignment changes are finalized. He is backed by a slate of former city officials, including former Mayor Willie Brown.
Theo Ellington, a 37-year-old executive director of the Ruth Williams Bayview Opera House and parent in the SFUSD system, takes a cautious stance. While acknowledging the board’s vote, he warns that without targeted funding for historically underserved neighborhoods, “neighborhood schools will deepen inequities.” Ellington proposes reinstating the City and School District Select Committee to coordinate housing, transit, and school planning, and to ensure transparent outcome tracking. His endorsements feature Mayor Daniel lurie, State Controller Malia Cohen and several other high-profile elected officials.
The three candidates illustrate the spectrum of opinion within District 10: from those who see neighborhood placement as a path to stable, locally focused schools, to those who fear it will reopen doors to segregation without a comprehensive equity plan. As the board moves forward, their positions will likely shape the policy debate and influence voters in the upcoming supervisor race.
