San Mateo-Foster City School District Explained

San Mateo-Foster City School District
Address:1170 Chess Dr
Foster City, California
State:California
Postalcode:-->
Zipcode:94404
Coordinates:37.55°N 140.5°W
Type:Public
Motto:Live, Lead, Learn
Grades:K (TK) – 8
President:Audrey Ng[1]
Vice-President:Shara Watkins
Superintendent:Diego R. Ochoa [2]
Deputy Superintendent:-->
Accreditation:-->
Schools:20
Students:10,357 (2022-23)
Teachers:1,172
Staff:413
Colours:-->

San Mateo-Foster City School District is a school district in San Mateo and Foster City, California. It consists of twenty schools: three middle schools (Grades 6–8), fourteen elementary schools (TK/K–5), and three schools with all grades (K–8). With a total enrollment of approximately 12,500 students (in 2015–16),[3] it is the largest school district in San Mateo County. Students in the San Mateo-Foster City School District continue on to the San Mateo Union High School District.

History

Measure L

Measure L was passed in February 2008, and provided funds to modernize and repair schools in the district.[4] [5]

Measure P

Measure P was placed on the November 2013 ballot, but failed to pass.[6] [7] Measure P would have funded capital programs to add a fifth grade to Bowditch Middle School and reopen Knolls Elementary, but debates on Measure P exposed a rift between Foster City and San Mateo residents who felt that Measure P provided disproportionate benefits to the smaller Foster City.[8] Final voting showed support for Measure P in Foster City was outweighed by opposition in San Mateo.[9]

Measure X

Measure X was passed in November 2015,[10] and committed to:[11]

Phase I

Phase II (planning to start in 2019)

The school at Charter Square is anticipated to be completed in early 2019 at an estimated (in 2016) cost of .[12] After Measure P failed to pass, Measure X was written with input from an eight-member committee which held nearly 100 public meetings from 2014 to 2015 to come up with recommendations to increase district capacity while maintaining equal opportunities for all students. Rather than reopen Knolls Elementary, Measure X included the creation of a new elementary school at College Park, drawing students from the surrounding North Central neighborhood. The current elementary school at College Park, which had served neighborhood children prior to its conversion to a Mandarin-language immersion school, had a history of poor academic performance.[13]

In November 2018, the District announced that due to the rising cost of construction, the elementary school at Charter Square would not be built, but acquisition of the land from developer Westlake Urban, who had previously operated a shopping mall at the site, would continue. The final cost of the acquisition and the construction was estimated to exceed the total project $61 M budget by $11 M. The final cost of land acquisition is anticipated to be $30.1 M.[14]

Measure Y

Measure Y, proposing an extension of an existing parcel tax which generated $7 million annually, failed to reach the two-thirds supermajority required to pass in an all-mail ballot held in March 2017.[15] [16]

Measure V

Measure V, proposing a parcel tax of approximately $298 per property to generate a projected $10 million annually,[17] passed with 67.9% of the vote, just over the required two-thirds majority of those voting in the November 2018 election.[18] [19]

Schools

List of San Mateo-Foster City School District Schools[20] [21] [22] [23]
Name Type Grades Address City Special Curriculum Image
AbbottMiddle 6–8 600 W. 36th Avenue San MateoSpanish-English Immersion & Global Studies Program
AudubonElementary TK–5 841 Gull Avenue Foster City
Bayside AcademyElementary/Middle K–5, 6–8 2025 Kehoe Avenue San Mateo
BaywoodElementary TK–5 600 Alameda de las Pulgas
Beach Park K–5 1058 Shell Blvd. Foster City
BeresfordK–5 300 W. 28th Avenue San Mateo
BorelMiddle 6–8 425 Barneson Avenue
Bowditch1450 Tarpon Street Foster City
Brewer IslandElementary TK–5 1151 Polynesia Drive Foster City
College ParkK–5 715A Indian Avenue San Mateo
Fiesta Gardens1001 Bermuda Drive
Foster CityTK–5 461 Beach Park Boulevard Foster City
George Hall130 San Miguel Way San Mateo
Highlands2320 Newport Street
Laurel316 W. 36th Avenue
LEAD949 Ocean View Avenue
Meadow Heights2619 Dolores Street
North ShoreviewElementary/Middle K–8 1301 Cypress Street
Parkside1685 Eisenhower Street
San Mateo ParkElementary TK–5 161 Clark Drive
Sunnybrae1031 S. Delaware Street

Notes

Bowditch Middle

One of the schools is Bowditch Middle School. It has 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Bowditch was named after Nathaniel Bowditch and consists of more than 1,000 students. There is a principal, and two assistant principals. Bowditch is a big school, with more than 40 classrooms. They are more commonly known as the Buccaneers, and have an orchestra, band, soccer, flag football, track and more.

Knolls Elementary

Knolls Elementary, at 525 42nd Avenue in San Mateo, is on the southern edge of the district. It was closed in 1989, but reopened temporarily in 2011 after refurbishment and modernization using Measure L funds to temporarily house Fiesta Gardens students while that site was undergoing renovations, which were completed in 2013.[24] [25]

Bayside Academy

Bayside, at 2025 Kehoe Ave in San Mateo, is a K-8 school. It hosts the Mandarin Immersion and GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) for middle school. It also has a new gym built recently.

Demographics

San Mateo-Foster City School District Enrollment[26]
Year Total African American American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Filipino Hispanic or Latino Pacific Islander White Two or More Races Not Reported Male Female
2017–1811837 110 13 2940 431 4124 254 2941 979 45 6141 5696
2016–1711970 132 12 2951 447 4097 279 3091 913 48 6185 5785
2015–1611977 148 13 2918 506 4094 287 3110 867 34 6119 5858
2014–1511858 164 17 2754 519 4093 307 3159 825 20 6061 5797

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Board of Trustees – Members . San Mateo-Foster City School District . December 7, 2018.
  2. Web site: Superintendent - San Mateo-Foster City School District .
  3. Web site: Fact Sheet . 2016 . San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  4. Web site: Measure L Overview . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  5. Web site: February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary Election Results . Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections, County of San Mateo . February 2008 . December 7, 2018.
  6. News: Voters reject Measure P, San Mateo-Foster City schools bond measure . Kinney, Aaron . November 5, 2013 . San Jose Mercury News . August 10, 2017.
  7. Web site: November 5, 2013 Consolidated Municipal, School & Special District Election Results . Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections, County of San Mateo . December 2, 2013 . December 7, 2018.
  8. News: $130 million bond measure stirs debate in San Mateo, Foster City . Kinney, Aaron . October 18, 2013 . San Jose Mercury News . August 10, 2017.
  9. News: San Mateo-Foster City district explores options after Measure P defeat . Kinney, Aaron . November 6, 2013 . San Jose Mercury News . August 10, 2017.
  10. Web site: November 3, 2015 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District All-Mailed Ballot Election Results . Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections, County of San Mateo . November 24, 2015 . December 7, 2018.
  11. Web site: March 2017 – Measure X Bond Update . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  12. News: School Scene: Foster City to get new elementary school . Noguchi, Sharon . November 19, 2016 . San Jose Mercury News . August 10, 2017.
  13. News: San Mateo-Foster City School District to pursue $150 million bond measure . Kinney, Aaron . August 4, 2015 . San Jose Mercury News . August 10, 2017.
  14. News: School construction deal off in Foster City . Walsh, Austin . November 20, 2018 . San Mateo Daily Journal . December 7, 2018.
  15. News: Horgan: A familiar public education scenario is playing out again . Horgan, John . April 10, 2017 . San Jose Mercury News . August 10, 2017.
  16. Web site: March 28, 2017 San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District Special Mail Ballot Election . Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections, County of San Mateo . April 17, 2017 . December 7, 2018.
  17. Web site: Measure V . San Mateo-Foster City School District . December 7, 2018.
  18. News: Horgan: SanMateo-Foster city tax vote exposes a lurking fiscal danger . Horgan, John . October 17, 2018 . San Jose Mercury News . December 7, 2018.
  19. Web site: November 6, 2018 Election Results . Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections, County of San Mateo . December 6, 2018 . December 7, 2018.
  20. Web site: Elementary Schools . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  21. Web site: Middle Schools . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  22. Web site: K–8 Schools . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  23. Web site: Magnet Schools . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  24. Web site: Knolls School – DSA Upgrade . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  25. Web site: Knolls School – Modernization & New Construction . n.d.. San Mateo-Foster City School District . August 10, 2017.
  26. Web site: Enrollment Multi-Year Summary by Ethnicity, San Mateo-Foster City District Report (41-69039) . 2017 . California Department of Education . August 10, 2017.