Impact of the Merger
• Because of the influx of Daniel Webster students, Starr King will not be able to accommodate its current special needs students

• The Friends of Potrero Preschool, which currently leases space from Starr King, will be displaced. This is the only preschool in Potrero Hill

• Daniel Webster’s Cantonese Immersion program will be phased out, displacing students

• Daniel Webster’s Child Development Program will be shut down, displacing 130+ students and their families who rely on the program year round

• If Starr King’s new Mandarin Immersion (MI) program performs to expectation, slots will fill immediately, leaving only 40 kindergarten spaces for non-MI students, and rapidly bring the school to near capacity. In addition, the Mandarin program will not be able to enroll new students in succeeding years.

• Historically, there is an average 10% drop off through students leaving SFUSD when schools are merged. This translates into less revenue, perpetuating the never-ending budget crisis.

• The highest growth neighborhood in San Francisco will be woefully underserved with only one elementary school.

Action Plan
We have a group of dedicated, middle class families who want public education for their children. We’re asking you for just one year. One year to show you what they can do. To that end, the PHPA’s Daniel Webster Prospective Parents Committee is prepared to immediately explore several action items aimed at raising revenue at Daniel Webster:

• Open a preschool on the Daniel Webster campus. There is space available and a clear need for more conveniently located preschools to accommodate the increasing number of children in the area. Ideally, this would be a for-profit school leasing space from Daniel Webster and giving a portion of proceeds to Daniel Webster. The preschool currently at Starr King has turned into a highly effective PR vehicle for the school – parents all over the Hill are getting an inside look and are able to feel comfortable in the environment. It becomes a natural feeder for the elementary school – it’s happening at Starr King. It can happen at Daniel Webster.

• Daniel Webster already has corporate support from Gap Foundation and Wells Fargo. These future parents are motivated to build on existing corporate sponsorships and bring in additional partners to underwrite programs and improvements at the school. These people are professionals from every business sector. They are prepared to put their experience, skills and contacts to work for their neighborhood school.

• We are amazed at the number of merchants and non-parent residents who are voicing their support for Daniel Webster. We are prepared to capitalize on this momentum to involve the community at large in other revenue generating, fundraising and/or underwriting activities to supplement Daniel Webster.