Ann Hsu - Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee Chairperson to San Francisco School Board Commissioner
How negligence in establishing a Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) put the San Francisco Unified School District's Bond Program out of compliance with Prop 39, and eventually resulted in its Chairperson, Ann Hsu, becoming appointed as one of the District's new Commissioners.
In 2016, the citizens of San Francisco voted to approve a $744,000,000 facilities bond for the school district's rehabilitation and construction of its real property; mostly school sites. Well, three (3) years floated by without the mandated establishment of a CBOC. An insider-whistleblower sent a letter to San Francisco's City Attorney, that resulted in the school superintendent ordering the bond program manager to establish the required CBOC.
– The newly assembled SFUSD CBOC is where I sit as Vice-Chair next to our extremely accomplished Chairperson Ann Hsu. We both came on board at the same time, in May of
2021, after reading the school district's newsletter asking for individuals who may be interested in becoming a CBOC member.
– Well, almost a year later, due to Ann Hsu's financial prowess, people skills and focused leadership, the SFUSD bond program has been held to its highest standard of disclosure and accountability. We have also been helped along the way by the California Association of Bond Oversight Committees (CABOC), a tremendous source of assistance and consultation.
– Ann's work on the CBOC has not gone unnoticed. Just this past February, the citizens of San Francisco voted out - recalled - three (3) school board commissioners. Then, after an intense search of hundreds of potential candidates, Mayor London Breed chose three appointee-replacements. My good friend, Ann Hsu, was one of them. The City of San Francisco's School District is blessed to now have Ann on its Board of Education.
By Rex Ridgeway, Interim Chairman Citizens Bond Oversight Committee
San Francisco Unified School District
