Report to the Community
Superintendent's Message
I am honored to have been appointed as County Superintendent of Schools to complete the term of Nancy Magee, who announced her retirement in February. She left a strong legacy that will continue. The progress you see in this year’s Report to the Community is a testament to her work and her dedication to the children and families of San Mateo County.
During the 2025-26 school year, the County Office of Education continued to make significant progress towards the goals of the strategic plan.
First and foremost, we continued to ensure that our schools remain safe environments for our students to learn and thrive, and where students, staff, and families alike feel physically, mentally, and emotionally safe.
We continued to advance programs that support the social, emotional, and mental health of our young people and we advanced literacy initiatives, as we know that prioritizing early literacy is one of the most effective strategies to improve academic and lifelong outcomes.
We continued to help local schools become more climate-ready and sustainable, while working to increase students’ environmental literacy across the state. Last year, we launched Seeds to Solutions, a free set of instructional materials for students grades K-12 available to all California educators.
I want to express my deep appreciation to our dedicated educators, support staff, families, and community partners for their tireless efforts to bring excellence and equity to education.
Marco A. CHávez, Superintendent of Schools
County Office of Education
The San Mateo County Office of Education supports more than 84,000 students across 23 school districts by providing services that can be done more efficiently and economically at the county level. These include instructional and technical support, college and career readiness programs, and development of the education workforce. The County Office oversees district budgets and approves each district’s Local Accountability Plans to meet student needs. It also runs programs for students with significant disabilities, alternative instruction for learners in the juvenile court system, and an inclusive state preschool.
Each year, the County Office of Education manages nearly $117.98 million in state, local, and federal funding to support students and schools. These funds pay for educational programs, specialized services for school districts, and small school programs that serve students with the most significant needs, including students with disabilities and students in the juvenile justice system. View an interactive tool displaying the 2025-26 budget information or download an accessible version of the budget.
Vision
Excellence in Education
Every Student • Every Educator • Every School
Mission
- Inspiring Students
- Investing in Teachers
- Invigorating Leaders
- Involving Families & Communities
Launching the 2023-28 Strategic Plan
Since launching its 2023-28 Strategic Plan, the County Office of Education has expanded its work in four distinct goal areas to transform public education so that all San Mateo County students are supported in their journey from birth to career.
Goal One: Support Whole-Child Student Outcomes
The County Office of Education seeks to foster positive relationships and learning environments that help students achieve personal and academic success. Supporting whole-child student outcomes has two components: 1) objectives for all students and schools in San Mateo County, and 2) objectives focused on students in County Office of Education programs, including special education, court and community schools, and early learning classrooms.
2025-26 School Year Accomplishments:
- Strengthened the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports strategy by teaching and reinforcing positive behavior in our Court and Community Schools. As a result, 88.9% of students have been recognized for positive behavior.
- Partnered with Ten Strands to implement Seeds to Solutions—a set of free K-12 instructional materials on statewide environmental issues, providing new teacher trainings, instructional resources, and educator co-learning.
- As the backbone agency for United for Youth, a collaborative to strengthen youth behavioral health, the County Office convened educators and community partners, provided technical assistance, and supported a network of partners who hosted 240 activities.
- Co-hosted a Health and Life Science Careers Expo to support mental health and well-being and promote greater workforce diversity in healthcare pathways.
- Produced a 33.1% increase in post-test scores at the K-22 Special Services Center, from 18.2% to 51.3%.
Goal Two: Build the Workforce for Student Success
The County Office of Education prioritizes creating a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce committed to equitable practices and excellence in education.
2025-26 School Year Accomplishments:
- Supporting the Early Learning Workforce
With funding from Measure K and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, we helped hundreds of current and future early learning professionals complete coursework, find jobs, and get professional development to strengthen the early learning workforce. This year, 22 educators applied for a new or upgraded child development permit, 60+ working professionals participated in Early Childhood Education, and 397 providers applied for a stipend for coursework and professional development.
Building the Teacher Pipeline
The Teacher Residency Program, in partnership with Alder Graduate School of Education, has grown exponentially over the last two years, helping to build a more capable workforce by helping prospective educators earn their Master’s in Education and teaching credentials.
Connecting Site Leaders for Greater Impact
The County Office launched Site Principal Impact Network (SPIN), a network that connects principals across San Mateo County. Led by a cross-departmental team with diverse expertise, SPIN creates practical opportunities for school leaders to learn from one another, share challenges, and build solutions together, strengthening leadership and collaboration across the county.
Goal Three: Strengthen Advocacy and Partnership
The County Office of Education fosters excellent and equitable educational opportunities by improving connections to schools and child care programs, aligning regional, state and local efforts, and collaborating with the broader community. The County Office provided tool and resources to help communities and schools support immigrant families. We supported the development and launch of the Child Care Blueprint Action Plan. And we convened labor, districts, clean energy advocates, and industry to support student success and California's clean energy future.
2025-26 School Year Accomplishments:
- Developed an E-Bike Toolkit and held a series of webinars to provide educators and families with strategies to promote safe, responsible riding among students
- Released a three‑year report highlighting the School Travel Fellowship’s impact on safe, active student travel
- Engaged more than 900 middle and high school leaders through the TUPE+ program to advance youth wellness—empowering students to lead prevention efforts that address tobacco, vaping, and cannabis use
- Allied with local youth and partners to shape a wellness agenda for San Mateo County youth through the Futures Commission
Goal Four: Embody OneSMCOE Vision and Values
County Office of Education staff, from the office to the schools, are dedicated to and embody the organization’s vision, values, and core practices. Attracting and retaining quality employees is essential to serving students and families.
2025-26 School Year Accomplishments:
- Created a workplace where 87% of staff find fulfillment in their work
- Focused on creating a positive workplace culture across all sites, resulting in seven out of 10 employees recommending the County Office of Education as a good place to work.
- Maintained employees' job satisfaction, finding that 82% employees are fulfilled by their work and feel their efforts are valued.
San Mateo County schools continue to be recognized for creating strong learning environments, supporting student well-being, and helping students succeed. These honors reflect the dedication of educators, school leaders, and staff who work every day on behalf of students and families.
2026 Distinguished Schools Awards
Six San Mateo County schools received a 2026 California Distinguished School Award from the California Department of Education for strong student performance and their success in closing achievement gaps:
- Summit Public School: Shasta, Jefferson Union High School Disctrict
- Crocker Middle School, Portola Valley Elementary School District
- Corte Madera, Portola Valley Elementary School District
- Central Middle School, San Carlos Elementary School District
- Tierra Linda Middle School, San Carlos Elementary School District
- El Camino High School, South San Francisco Unified
2026 California Green Ribbon Schools
San Mateo County schools and districts continued to earn recognition through the California Green Ribbon Schools program for their leadership in sustainability, health, and environmental learning. Ravenswood City School District was named a Green Achiever—the program’s highest honor—for its long-term commitment, visionary leadership, and strong partnerships advancing sustainability and environmental justice. Green Hills Elementary (Millbrae Elementary School District) and Menlo Park City Elementary School District also received Bronze recognition for their sustainability efforts
2026 Model Continuation High School
Thornton High School, part of the Jefferson Union High School District, was named a 2026 Model Continuation High School by the California Department of Education. This recognition highlights Thornton’s commitment to student success through personalized learning, strong relationships, and supportive programs that help students stay engaged, graduate, and prepare for college and careers.
2025 Golden Bell Awards
The Redwood City School District received a 2025 Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association for its Counseling Services Program. This award-winning program ensures students have access to vital mental health support through licensed clinicians, who offer therapy, crisis response, and social-emotional learning that break down barriers to success.
The web app below displays each district’s legal boundaries and summary performance data from the 2023-24 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.”
San Mateo County Schools Implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
With the support of the County Office, 13 schools across five San Mateo County school districts received statewide recognition for their implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) – an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health.
- McKinley Elementary, Burlingame
- George Washington Elementary, Jefferson Elementary
- Margaret P. Brown Elementary, Jefferson Elementary
- Westlake Elementary, Jefferson Elementary
- Garden Village Elementary, Jefferson Elementary
- Susan B. Anthony Elementary, Jefferson Elementary
- Taylor Middle, Millbrae Elementary
- Ingrid B. Lacy Middle, Pacifica
- Ortega Elementary, Pacifica
- Vallemar, Pacifica
- Cabrillo Elementary, Pacifica
- Sunset Ridge Elementary, Pacifica
- Fiesta Gardens International Elementary, San Mateo-Foster City