As part of SFUSD's plan to tackle a $400 million budget deficit over a three-year period, June Jordan High School in the Excelsior neighborhood is one of two high schools set to merge with other schools next year.

This plan is concerning teachers who say their students are afraid their lives could be at risk due to presumed gang affiliations.

Alan Tello is a junior at June Jordan High School. Today he decided to speak up to represent many of their classmates.

"The same amount of crying as there is conversations. It's a lot about what the future may look like. 'Specially as a junior, my senior year is impacted," Tello said.

We asked Superintendent Matt Wayne about the decision to merge this school.

"We recognize June Jordan is a small school, and we want to continue to provide those students with the small school environment. So that is why we think that if the students were to go to O'Connell this could provide that small school environment as well. They have only 500 students and the kids can get their needs met in that setting," Wayne said.

June Jordan is one of the 13 SFUSD schools that meet the district's criteria to close or merge. The students here will go to O'Connell High School in the Mission District. A merger that is concerning teachers.

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