Special Education Extended School Year

Extended School Year (ESY) is an extension of existing Special Education Individual Education Program (IEP) services provided during the summer recess to assist a student in maintaining skills on goals and objectives from their current IEP.  The primary goal of ESY is to limit regression of skills gained during the school year.

Not all students with IEPs are eligible for ESY.  Eligibility must be based on data and determined by an IEP team (5 C.C.R. Section 3043). 

Reasons for eligibility include:

• Patterns of Regression: Regression is a loss of critical skills after a significant break from instruction (i.e, summer recess, Winter break).  This can include academic, behavioral or life skills.  All students are expected to demonstrate some skill regression after a break, but patterns of significant losses in critical skills may suggest the need for ESY.
• Rate of Recoupment: Rate of recoupment is the amount of time required to re-learn skills following an extended break from school.  After breaks, nondisabled students typically require some time to recoup skills (i.e., 4-5 days is the typical time it takes a student to recoup skills after Winter Break); however, extensive recoupment periods may suggest the need for ESY.
• New or Emerging Skills: Some students may be at a crucial point in skill acquisition or readiness.  If students are in the early stages of developing and demonstrating new skills and an interruption in services is likely to undermine that progress, they may be eligible for ESY services.
• Nature & Severity of Disability: Some students have disabilities that are likely to continue indefinitely or for a prolonged period.  In this situation, interruption of the student’s educational programming may cause regression and render it impossible or unlikely that the student will attain a level of self-sufficiency and independence in view of his or her disabling condition.

• Pre-K will consist of 4 hours (240 minutes) of instruction and educational learning activities based on students’ current IEP goals. Elementary will be 4 hours and 40 minutes, and Middle School will be 4 hours.
  • Pre-K Hours: 8am-12pm
  • ES Hours: 7:50am - 12:30pm
  • MS Hours: 9am - 1pm
• High School & ACCESS ESY will consist of 5 hours (300 minutes) of instruction and educational learning activities based on students’ current IEP goals. County Programs will run 6 hours.
  • HS and ACCESS Hours: 9am - 2pm
  • County Programs Hours: 9am-3pm

*Breakfast and Lunch are provided during ESY

SFUSD welcomes and celebrates students of all backgrounds and ability levels, as we know that having a dynamic and diverse group of students is what makes SFUSD schools so special. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or Section 504 Accommodation Plans (504s) are encouraged to enroll in ExCEL’s expanded learning programs, including after-school programming. Beyond the school day, SFUSD is required to provide reasonable accommodations to support program access for students with disabilities.

As part of the district's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) Plan, SFUSD offers expanded summer program offerings in partnership with community based organizations who lead ExCEL after school programs at SFUSD schools during the school year. 

>  ExCEL Summer Program Locations & Enrollment Info

>  Map of Summer Program Locations

>  More information about Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs

Requesting Para or Nurse Support in After Care programs

Families of students who have para or nurse support in their child's IEP or 504 plan should contact their school principal to request provide para / nurse support in their after ESY programs.

The reduction in ESY days this year is a special circumstance to accommodate the adjusted summer schedule due to the February teachers’ strike. The length of the ESY school day has been extended to ensure all grade levels are meeting the state-mandated instructional minute requirements for ESY this year.

Is that going to be a permanent change moving forward? No, this is not a permanent change. 

• ESY Assignment letters were mailed and emailed to families in Prior Written Notices on April 1st
• If you think your child is eligible for ESY and you did not receive an offer letter, please contact your Child's Case Manager or reach out to esy@sfusd.edu

Important Notes regarding ESY Transportation:

• Friday, April 17 is the deadline for Families of students with Transportation to accept ESY. 
• Route information for Transportation requests or changes submitted between April 18-May 16, will be available in the Zum portal by the second week of ESY. 
• No ESY transportation changes can be requested after June 17.

• For ESY, our home-to-school and school-to-home transportation service will continue as written in a student's IEP. 
• Transportation to an alternate site after ESY can only occur when transportation to an IEP service is written in a child's current IEP.
• Families of students with transportation in their IEP MUST accept their ESY offer by April 16, 2026. 
• ESY bus route information will be available in the Zum portal the week before ESY.
• Route information for Transportation requests or changes submitted between April 18-May 16, will be available in the Zum portal by the second week of ESY. 
• No ESY transportation changes can be requested after June 17.
• Additional questions about transportation? Reach out to Transportation services directly at: Ph: 415-695-5505  E-mail: transportation@sfusd.edu

Families will receive assignment letters for ESY in March. If ESY is currently a service in your child's current IEP, you can assign or accept according to instructions in the letter.  

Families will also receive a confirmation email and robocall before ESY to confirm that your acceptance response was recorded.

Please see below to confirm your school's receiving/feeding pattern for ESY 2026.

Receiving School: San Miguel EES

Programs: INT (RSP)

San Miguel

Receiving School: Argonne EES

Programs: INT (RSP) 

Jefferson • Argonne • Theresa Mahler

Receiving School: Leola Havard PK @ Carver ES

Programs: PK (SDC)

Leola Havard • Bret Harte

Receiving School: Guadalupe

Programs: PK (SDC)

Guadalupe PK SDC

Receiving School: Zaida T. Rodriguez

Programs: PK (SDC), INT RSP

Zaida T. Rodriguez • Guadalupe INT (RSP) • Bryant ES (TK SDC)

Receiving School: Tule Elk Park EES

Programs: TK and INT (RSP), PK (SDC)

Tule Elk Park • Muir

Receiving School: John McLaren EES

Programs: PK and TK (SDC), PK (SDC)

John McLaren • El Dorado • Paul Revere • Sheridan

Receiving School: R. Weill EES

Programs: PK (SDC), PK and TK (SDC)

McCoppin • Grattan • Raphael Weill • Cobb EES

ESY 2026 Elementary Sites: Tenderloin, RL Stevenson, Lawton, ER Taylor

Please see below to find your school's receiving site for ESY 2026.

Receiving School: Tenderloin Elementary

Programs: RSP, MM, AF/MM, AF/ESN, SOAR, M/M

Bessie Carmichael • BVHM • Chavez (all but DHH) • Chinese Immersion De Avila • Creative Arts • Chin • Chinese Ed Center • Claire Lilienthal • Cobb • Yick Wo • Garfield • Gordon J Lau • Harvey Milk • Jean Parker • Marshall • Moscone • McKinley • New Traditions • Redding • Rosa Parks • Sanchez • SF Montessori • Sherman • Spring Valley • Tenderloin

Receiving School: RL Stevenson Elementary

Programs: RSP, MM, ESN, TK/K SDC

Alice Fong Yu • Dianne Feinstein • Drew • FS Key • Stevenson • Sunset • Clarendon • Ulloa • Lakeshore • West Portal • Sloat • Paul Revere • Sunnyside • Miraloma • Rooftop

Receiving School: Lawton Alternative

Programs: DHH K-5, RSP, AF ESN, AF MM, ESN, MM

Alamo • Muir • Chavez (DHH only) • Lafayette • Argonne • Jefferson • Lawton • McCoppin (RSP) • Peabody • Sutro • Grattan

Receiving School: ER Taylor Elementary

Programs: RSP, MM, AF MM, AF ESN, ESN

Bret Harte (RSP) • Carver • Cleveland • Guadalupe • Longfellow • Malcolm X • Jose Ortega • SF Community • Sheridan • Vis Valley ES • Hillcrest • Starr King • Daniel Webster • El Dorado • Alvarado • Bryant ES • Dolores Huerta • Glen Park • Mission Ed Center • Monroe • Flynn • ER Taylor • J. Serra ES

ESY 2026 Middle School Site: Hoover Middle School

Programs: MM, ESN, AF MM, AF ESN, DHH, SOAR

Alice Fong Yu • Creative Arts • Francisco MS • AP Giannini MS • Gateway MS • Marina MS • Presidio MS • Rooftop • Roosevelt MS • Lawton MS • Claire Lilienthal MS • Lick MS • Denman MS • Hoover MS • Aptos MS • BVHM • Everett MS • Paul Revere • SF Community • Vis Valley MS • Willie Brown MS • MLK MS

ESY 2026 High School & ACCESS School Sites: Mission, Lowell, Balboa

Please see below to confirm your school's receiving/feeding pattern for ESY 2026.

Receiving School: Mission High School

Programs: Credit Recovery, MM, ESN

Hilltop • Burton • June Jordan • John O'Connell • Thurgood Marshall • SF International • Downtown HS

Receiving School: Lowell High School

Programs: MM, ESN, AF ESN, AF MM, ALL Access Programs, DHH

Lincoln • Lowell • June Jordan (AF MM only) • Academy • SOTA • Independence • ALL Access Programs • Galileo (AF MM only)

Receiving School: Balboa High School

Programs: Credit Recovery, MM, ESN, ALL SOAR

Lincoln (SOAR only) • Washington • Mission (SOAR only) • Galileo • Gateway • Ida B. Wells • Wallenberg HS • Balboa

County Programs (McAuley, Civic Center, Woodside)

Unfortunately, no. ESY locations follow established patterns based on the feeder patterns. No changes of placement will be granted.

• 2026 ESY Feeder Pattern 

If your child and their teacher and or para are assigned to the same ESY site, we will do our best to assign students to their regular teachers for ESY.  Class lists will be developed once families have had an opportunity to accept/decline ESY assignments.

ESY position offers are made based on seniority and program need. We do our best to assign paraeducators to classrooms where they are familiar with the students and/or teacher; however, this is not guaranteed. 

For additional general ESY questions contact: esy@sfusd.edu