San Francisco (May 27, 2026) - The San Francisco County Office of Education (SFCOE) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) are expanding local special education services with the launch of a new county school program at the Edwin and Anita Lee Building, designed to serve students with Extensive Support Needs.
The new program will focus on students in grades 5-12 with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities who require complex behavioral, academic and social-emotional supports. The school is expected to open in the 2026-27 school year and will serve as a local option for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who are currently placed in Non-Public Schools (NPS).
“Every student deserves access to high-quality, supportive, learning environments close to home,” said Superintendent Dr. Maria Su. “This new program will help us better serve students with extensive support needs here in San Francisco while strengthening partnerships with families and reducing the need for students to travel long distances for services.”
The SFUSD Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education expressed its support for the new school. "The CAC enthusiastically applauds the development of a County Program to serve students with more extensive support needs within the district,” said CAC Vice Chair Tina Perdices.
“I am very excited that the Edwin and Anita Lee school site will soon reopen thanks to SFUSD,” said Vanita Louie, longtime community leader of the Chinatown Rotary Club and Commissioner on the Recreation and Parks Commission. “Students with disabilities need dedicated educators and a nurturing learning space to thrive. This school will provide a lifeline for students and families who may otherwise spend a lifetime advocating for a high quality education for their student with disability to learn and stay connected with their community in San Francisco.”
This new Extensive Support Needs (ESN) school represents an important expansion of the district’s continuum of special education services and aims to increase the district’s capacity to serve students locally. It is especially important at a time when there is an increase of need, and yet there are very few non-public school options within the city of San Francisco. The creation of this new school aligns with the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) recommendations that the district received in March 2026 to increase educational options for Special Education students in San Francisco.
The program is designed as a self-contained ESN school with enriched social skills instruction and behavior-based supports. In addition to instruction, students will have access to specialized spaces, including an occupational therapy room, a calm-down room, and a speech therapy room.
The school is expected to open with two classrooms serving approximately eight students in each room for a total of 16 students. SFCOE plans to expand the school in 2027-28 to four classrooms serving up to 32 students. By expanding local ESN programming, SFUSD aims to reduce reliance on Non-Public Schools, which often require students to travel significant distances outside San Francisco for services and can be costly for the district.
About SFUSD
SFUSD is the seventh largest school district in California, educating 50,000 PreK-12 students every year. San Francisco is both a city and a county; therefore, SFUSD administers both the school district and the San Francisco County Office of Education (COE). This makes SFUSD a “single district county.”
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