Be Here! is a citywide campaign to boost student attendance and foster a culture of belonging across San Francisco public schools. 

Led by Spark SF Public Schools in partnership with SFUSD, the campaign highlights how showing up to school—every day—matters for student success. 

Be Here! Because school is where students grow, connect, and thrive.  

A special message from Benjamin Bratt

An SFUSD alumnus and native-San Franciscan, Benjamin Bratt shares a message to the SFUSD community about students, learning as a community, and the importance of being at school.

Why this matters so much

When students feel connected, supported, and seen, they’re more likely to show up—and thrive. However, too many students are still missing out on school with overall attendance still below pre-pandemic levels.

Businesses, community partners, and civic leaders like you can help us boost awareness about what research says about the impact of missing even just two days of school per month.

In SFUSD, chronic absence cuts across every grade level—from our youngest learners in kindergarten to students in high school—and with it, students lose vital learning time, social connection, and long-term opportunity.

Our public schools are at the heart of a thriving city. Every student who shows up today is shaping the San Francisco of tomorrow.

Did you know that…

• Research shows that missing just two days of school each month can set students back—whether it’s a kindergartener building critical grade-level reading skills, a 7th grader keeping up with core math concepts, or a 10th grader staying on track to graduate.

• And because public schools are funded based on attendance, strong attendance helps keep essential dollars flowing to our schools.

• Absence is just as high in elementary school, as it is in high school. Supporting students is also about supporting families.

• We have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels of attendance, so now is the time to act.

Check out the Be Here! Campaign Launch

Major city organizations including theWarriors/Valkyries, Bay FC, SF Giants, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, city agencies - DCYF, DEC, SFPL, SFMTA, Park and Rec, parent and educator groups, businesses, CBOs from across San Francisco joined us to kick off the Be Here! campaign to rally every person in San Francisco to support students and share out this important message!

(Video provided courtesy of SFGovTV)

Be Here! In the News:

Be Here! Community Partners

SFMTA

2nd District PTA

AECOM

Alten Construction

African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI)

African American Parent Advisory Council

AT&T

Attendance Works

Bay FC

CalRTA: San Francisco Retired Teachers

Chinese for Affirmative Action

Clement Street Merchants Association

Chinatown Community Development Center

Coleman Advocates

Community Youth Center

Discover Polk CBD

Golden State Community Foundation

Good Samaritan Family Resource Center

HKIT Architects

Lakeside Village Business Council

Latino Task Force

Latin American Teachers Association

Mission Economic Development Agency

Mission Graduates

Mission Merchants Association

Multistudio

Noe Valley CBD

Noe Valley Merchants Association

North of Market/Tenderloin CBD

Parents for Public Schools

San Francisco Beacon Initiative

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families

San Francisco Department of Early Childhood

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Mayor’s Office

San Francisco Parks and Recreation

San Francisco Public Library

Senator Scott Wiener

SF Parent Coalition

Springboard Collective

Supervisor Connie Chan, City and County of San Francisco

Supervisor Danny Sauter, City and County of San Francisco

Supervisor Jackie Fielder, City and County of San Francisco

Supervisor Matt Dorsey, City and County of San Francisco

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, City and County of San Francisco

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, City and County of San Francisco

Supervisor Shamann Walton, City and County of San Francisco

Tacolicious

Tenderloin Community Benefit District

The Association of Chinese Teachers (TACT)

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

YMCA of San Francisco