The tides seem to be turning for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) as they’ve seen a spike in application numbers for the first time in ages, which could signal a reversal of the enrollment declines haunting the city’s schools these past few years. According to NBC Bay Area, more than 14,000 students are seeking a spot in SFUSD schools, a number that overshadows previous years.

But here’s the rub: The district has more schools than its current student body can fill, which has district honchos hinting that campus closures or consolidations are not just on the table – they're pretty much a shoo-in. The exact number and the names of the schools on the chopping block remain up in the air like a bad throw that's never going to make it to first base.

In an optimistic turn, transitional kindergarten applications are up – we’re talking an extra 300 eager beavers each year, per Lauren Koehler, who’s in charge of the enrollment office at SFUSD. “We see an increase in about 300 applications for TK every year,” Koehler told NBC Bay Area, meaning the district is on their toes trying to add seats to keep up with the small fry.

Despite the upstick in applications, though, SFUSD isn't exactly popping the bubbly. They’re sinking in a financial morass to the tune of $400 million, have a clunker of a payroll system, and need to wrangle their school placement system from a lottery to zoning faster than a hot knife through butter.

Meanwhile, the SFUSD has just sent out the school assignments for thousands of its students for the upcoming school slate, as reported by the district's own press release. The letters, which stamped out the address of more than 14,000 students on March 15, break down the good news: 62% of those kiddos got their number one school pick, and 83% landed in their top three. But they better not dilly-dally – the acceptance window slams shut on April 5.

With the increase in applications, especially in transitional kindergarten (TK) where 274 more tots threw their hat in the ring compared to last year, SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne was chipper, saying “There is a public school for every child in San Francisco, and we are excited to welcome families to the 2024-25 school year,” according to the district's press release.

The district has gone the extra mile this year to make sure that families were clued into the application process. They threw over 60 events; virtual and real-life ones that pulled in over 5,800 families. Plus, they pimped their centralized sign-up website for school tours which saw action from more than 20,000 families. With this kind of outreach, nearly all transitional grade students nailed the application deadline.

For those who missed the February 2 cutoff, there's still time to toss their name in the hat for Round 2 by April 19, according to SFUSD's enrollment office, who stands ready with open arms to assist families in a slew of languages, from the King’s English to Vietnamese. Those in need can reach out and touch base with the Enrollment Center via email, phone, or by planting their feet in one of two physical locations.