San Francisco Unified School District will move toward assigning incoming kindergarten students to their neighborhood schools, under a plan approved 5-2 by the Board of Education on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The new system is expected to begin with fall 2028 admissions. Families will be able to apply to schools offering certain programs, including language immersion, bilingual education, special education and K-8 instruction. The district has yet to set the attendance boundaries or determine which schools will accept applications beyond their assigned neighborhoods. Those details are expected in the spring, with a final board vote planned for April. The vote marks a major shift from a system in which families rank preferred schools and placements are determined through a formula that considers factors such as a student’s address and whether they have siblings at a school. Under the current approach, some schools receive far more applications than they have seats, while others struggle to fill kindergarten classes. District officials say neighborhood assignments could make enrollment more predictable and help stabilize staffing and resources. SFUSD currently has more than 14,000 empty classroom seats, many in historically disadvantaged communities, including parts of the city’s southeast. But parents speaking before the vote warned that a neighborhood assignment could limit access to schools they believe better meet their children’s needs. Some families, particularly in disadvantaged communities, seek schools they see as safer or better resourced, and speakers said uneven school quality could prompt more families to leave the district. “The place where we live should not limit the educational opportunities of our children,” one parent told the board. Superintendent Maria Su acknowledged families’ concerns and said the district must ensure that every neighborhood has a strong local school. “The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one,” she said. Board members rejected a less restrictive alternative that would have let families apply to any school with available space. That option had stronger support in a parent survey. Board members Alida Fisher and Supryia Ray opposed the adopted plan, favoring the broader choice option. Supporters of the neighborhood model argued that the existing system can leave schools underenrolled when families look elsewhere. Board Member Matt Alexander said the current process helps drive that pattern, while Vice President Jaime Huling said it can reinforce bias against schools perceived as less desirable. The district’s new approach follows years of debate over a system many families have found difficult to navigate. The challenge ahead, officials and parents said, will be making neighborhood schools strong enough that a guaranteed local placement feels like an opportunity rather than a restriction.