Nancy Magee

After experiencing the disruptions of COVID-19, San Mateo County schools are once again moving full steam ahead. In 2022, the State invested more broadly in whole child initiatives to promote our students’ academic, social, emotional, and physical development. As a result, some school districts recently applied for and received state funding to develop a community school model that engages educators, families, and community partners to address students’ health and well-being, including health care, mental health services, after-school programs, and parent engagement. This is a powerful model for the future of our education system, and the San Mateo County Office of Education is well-poised to support and champion.

As we move through 2023 and beyond, I am confident we will continue to make progress in providing equitable, high-quality educational opportunities that prepare students for success. I want to express my deep appreciation to our dedicated educators, support staff, families, and community partners for their tireless efforts to help our students explore, wonder, and create new learning every day. It takes all of us together.

– Nancy Magee, Superintendent of Schools

County Office of Education

The role of county offices of education has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. As administrative units of the State, their budgets largely consist of staff expenses to support programs and services that are essential to local school districts and that can be offered more efficiently and economically at the county level. 

Vision

Excellence in Education
Every Student • Every Teacher • Every School

Mission

  • Inspiring Students
  • Investing in Teachers
  • Invigorating Leaders
  • Involving Communities

Learn more about the San Mateo County Office of Education.


The County Office of Education roughly oversees $100 million in revenue and expenditures annually. Below is a breakdown of the County Office of Education's 2021-22 budget. View an interactive tool displaying the 2021-22 budget information or download an accessible version of the budget

Two County Programs Build the Educator Workforce

People sit at tables listening to speaker

The California Classified School Employee Teacher Program assists classified school employees in obtaining a teaching credential. Additionally, launched in the 2021-2022 school year, the County Office of Education’s Teacher Residency Program in partnership with Alder Graduate School of Education supports aspiring teachers in obtaining a master's degree and educator specialist credential. 

County Office of Education Develops Green Career Awareness Program

Three students look at plants in a field

The County Office of Education partnered with curriculum designers and industry partners to create a K-12 Green Career Awareness Program to expand students’ exposure to careers across California’s industry sectors that promote sustainable practices. The program includes standards-aligned instructional modules, field trips to local business partners, and a pre-apprenticeship program for high school students.

North San Mateo County Students Participate in Work-Based Learning

Students sit on stairs

Using a $2 million K12 Strong Workforce Program grant, the County Office of Education and a consortium of school districts and community-based partners collaborated to create a work-based learning program, called Youth Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, & Employment (YEEE!), for north San Mateo County students to explore potential careers and build key skills.

Students in Special Education Grow Their Entrepreneurship Skills

A woman hands money over to a student

This year, the County Office of Education launched a new workforce training curriculum for our students in our SMCOE Special Education program with several micro-businesses. These micro-businesses help students strengthen their problem-solving, money management, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills that prepare them for the workforce and independent living. 

Expanding Universal Prekindergarten Programs to Meet Child Care Needs

A teacher talks to a young child who is playing

To help all young children experience a strong foundation in learning, California launched a statewide initiative to provide universal prekindergarten (UPK) to all four-year-old children by 2026. In 2022, the County Office of Education helped school districts expand their UPK programs, starting by providing resources to create detailed UPK program plans for the 2022-23 school year.

County Office of Education Elevates Student Voice through Art

A high school student stands next to her artwork

To capture and celebrate student voice, the County Office of Education curated a new student art exhibit showcasing more than 75 art pieces reflecting a variety of topics, from student identity to the value of education. This stunning collection is moving and impactful, as the artists embraced this opportunity to reflect on their lives and experiences in a contemporary world.

School District Highlights

2022 Special Awards

Eight Schools and Districts Receive a California Pivotal Practice Award

Four school districts and four school sites in San Mateo County received a California Pivotal Practice Award (CAPP) from the California Department of Education in 2022. The award program temporarily replaced the state’s Distinguished Schools Award program and highlighted innovative practices that were implemented during the 2020-21 school year.

Two Schools Named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools

Burlingame Intermediate School (Burlingame School District) and Ralston Middle School (Belmont-Redwood Shores School District) were named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Both schools were designated as Exemplary High Performing Schools, earning this recognition for their academic excellence in English and mathematics.

2023 Special Awards

Thirty Schools Receive 2023 California Distinguished Schools Award

Thirty San Mateo County elementary schools received a 2023 California Distinguished School Award. The California Distinguished School Award program honors schools based on their performance on several State indicators displayed on the 2022 California School Dashboard.

2023 Green Ribbon Schools Award Winners

On April 20, 2023, the California Department of Education announced that Redwood High School, an alternative continuation school in the Sequoia Union High School District, and the Cabrillo Unified School District received a 2023 California Green Ribbon Schools Award for environmental excellence. 

The web app below displays each district’s legal boundaries and summary performance data from the 2021-22 school year, as reported on the California School Dashboard. The different colors represent the different unified and high school districts in our county. Simply click on a district to see its summary information. If you click on a smaller district that is one of several of the same color, you will see a small box in the pop-up window that says “1 of 2.” Clicking the arrows inside that box will toggle between the information for the elementary school district and the larger high school district it feeds into. To see more detailed district performance data from the California Dashboard, scroll down to the row that says “Link to CDE Dashboard” and click “View.” Download an accessible version of the data.