In December 2005, a group of parents of pre-preschool age children rallied fellow residents of their Potrero Hill neighborhood to save Daniel Webster (DW) Elementary School from closure and subsequent merger with Starr King in a remote part of the community.

Working in parallel with the school’s administration and population, this dedicated group of parents gathered over 600 signatures opposing the proposed merger. The parents group presented the Board of Education with compelling demographic information detailing the dramatic influx of middle class families in Potrero Hill over the past five years as well as the projected growth in housing and population in the city’s woefully underserved Southeast sector.

They reached out to every member of the Board of Education, developed a website with updated information for the community to access, and caught the attention of the city’s major media outlets (a feature on ABC News; a front page story in the SF Chronicle, as well as coverage on various local radio programs). Their hard work was rewarded in that the Board of Education unanimously voted against the merger. One Board member publicly cited how impressed he was by the community’s commitment to keeping Daniel Webster alive and the demographic presentation that clearly showed that Potrero Hill’s growing population could eventually support two elementary schools if the current families stay in and educate their children in Potrero Hill.

In particular, what captured the attention and support of the Board of Education was the passionate commitment of a predominately middle income, group of mothers and fathers who were fighting to retain an academically failing school populated by an overwhelmingly minority student population so that they could improve and integrate the school with their children. Board members with 20 years of seniority could not recall any similar phenomenon. Currently, Daniel Webster is nearly 100% low-income, minority students, has poor test scores, low parental involvement, and does not have the types of programs that historically help failing schools become “hidden gems” (e.g. typically language immersion programs and/or strong parental involvement and/or strong leadership).

In order to accomplish their extraordinary goals, the initial group of parents from the Potrero Hill Parents Association (PHPA) presented a multi-step plan to the Board of Education and members of then Acting Superintendent Chan’s staff to help the school become a quality K-5 that will attract the middle class families living in Potrero and integrate the school so that it serves all populations of the neighborhood.

Indeed, the middle income families that make up the majority of the PHPA group supporting public education are progressive, believe in diversity, had public school educations themselves, and want to raise their children in San Francisco – but can only do so if there are convenient, quality public schools with attractive programs.

Despite many setbacks and modest support or encouragement from the administration, this group of PHPA parents is undaunted in its efforts and have now formalized its initiatives through the establishment of the Potrero Residents Education Fund (PREFund). The group has demonstrated its commitment to the public school system, despite the fact that most of their children will not enter kindergarten until 2009. PREFund is the basis of these initiatives and is a donor advised fund through the San Francisco Foundation in order to raise money for the elementary schools in the neighborhood and is in the process of seeking funding through various foundations, grants, and corporations to continue and expand these initiatives.

A major part of the PREFund plan is the establishment of a preschool on the currently underused campus of Daniel Webster. It has been clearly demonstrated that the presence of a private preschool within a public school campus (Friends of Potrero Preschool at Starr King) can change perceptions of the school within a community - preschool parents become familiar with the campus, the students and the teachers and staff; children feel comfortable in the building. If the school then has the right programs to attract those parents, the preschool becomes a natural feeder to the elementary school.