Board Vice President · Trustee, Area 3

I know this district — because I've been showing up for it.

Four years of institutional knowledge, working relationships, and daily presence at school sites across San Mateo Union High School District, where I currently serve as Board Vice President. There's unfinished work worth finishing, and if re-elected, I'm ready to serve as Board President.

Proven. Prepared. Present.
Jennifer Jacobson
During my time on the Board

Results across the whole district

93.6%
Graduation rate — highest in five years, with gains among Multilingual Learners and students receiving Special Ed services
94% vs 79%
Graduation rate for students in Empowerment Through Action (ETA), the Hillsdale program behind Empower San Mateo, vs. similar peers — suspensions down 50%
73.5% vs 48.8%
Students meeting or exceeding ELA standards vs. the California average — up 3.2 points from last year
50.4% vs 37.3%
Students meeting or exceeding Math standards vs. the California average — up 4.5 points from last year
Endorsements

Trusted voices across San Mateo County

Former SMUHSD board leadership, elected officials, fellow school trustees, and community leaders backing this campaign.

Elected Official

Art Kiesel

Mayor, Foster City

Elected Official

Lisa Diaz Nash

San Mateo City Councilmember; former Mayor

Elected Official

John Pimentel

Trustee, San Mateo County Community College District

Partner District Trustee

Rowena Chiu

Trustee, Palo Alto Unified School District

Partner District Trustee

Rich Ginn

Trustee, Sequoia Union High School District

Former School Board President

Paige Winikoff

Former Trustee & Board President, Las Lomitas Elementary School District

Community Leader

Suki Reddy

Founder, Intentional Tech in Schools – SMFCSD

School Board Candidate

Avery Wang

Trustee Candidate, Palo Alto Unified School District

School Board Candidate

John Craig

Trustee Candidate, Palo Alto Unified School District

Why I'm running again

The work isn't finished — and I'm the one who started it.

Knowledge

A steep learning curve, already climbed

Governance takes years to understand fully. Many of my priorities are multi-year initiatives I want to see through, not hand off mid-stream.

Relationships

Working relationships that get things done

Strong, established relationships with the Superintendent, fellow trustees, and district staff — the kind that make real progress possible.

Investment

Still personally invested

Three of my five children are still in this district. I'm not a governance hobbyist — I have direct, ongoing skin in the game.

Presence

Time to actually show up

Site visits, board meetings, professional development, task forces — the job takes time and presence, not just good intentions. I have both.

Trustee Area 3

What's happening close to home

Area 3 covers Aragon and Hillsdale High Schools and the neighborhoods around them — Hillsborough, the San Mateo Highlands, and West San Mateo. San Mateo High, right next door, is part of the same community many Area 3 families are part of. And because Hillsborough addresses split across attendance zones, many Area 3 families have students at Burlingame High too — not just Aragon and Hillsdale.

Aragon and Hillsdale are where a lot of my track record started — including the PE study hall fix, which began with my own daughter at Hillsdale, and the Peace Pantry, which I still volunteer at weekly. Here's what's new at the site level this year:

  • San Mateo High opened a new 20,000-sq-ft athletic training complex this year, funded by the Measure L bond
  • Burlingame High opened a brand-new gym this year for its students and families — also funded by Measure L
  • A new hands-on trades program at Aragon — the only one of its kind in the county
  • Two new Pacific Islander mentoring groups at Aragon through Empower San Mateo
  • New career pathway courses launching at both Hillsdale and Aragon
  • A reordered math sequence at Hillsdale, now showing real results in Algebra 2
Map of SMUHSD Trustee Area 3, covering Aragon and Hillsdale High Schools
Jennifer Jacobson with her family
Mother of five — all raised and educated in San Mateo public schools.
Jennifer Jacobson portrait
About

A present, engaged parent-neighbor — not a career politician

I'm the mother of five children, all raised and educated in San Mateo public schools. Two of my daughters graduated from Hillsdale High School during my time on the Board. My twin sons are entering 9th grade this fall, and my youngest son is entering 4th grade.

I hold an M.S. in Nutritional Science from BYU and am a Registered Dietitian, though I paused that career to raise my family. I've run a portrait photography business serving local families for 17 years. I also serve as Director of Communications for the San Mateo Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as liaison to the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition, where I stay active in interfaith education and service work across our community.

Right now, I'm honored to serve as Board Vice President, and I'd be ready to serve as President if re-elected. As a stay-at-home mom, I have the flexibility to actually show up — school site visits, board meetings, professional development, task forces — during the school day. This job requires time and presence, not just good intentions, and I bring both.

Board RoleVice President, SMUHSD Board of Trustees
FamilyMother of five; two Hillsdale graduates and three more to go!
EducationM.S. Nutritional Science, BYU
CareerRegistered Dietitian; portrait photographer, 17 yrs
Get involved

Proven. Prepared. Present. Help keep it that way.

Join the email list

Campaign updates, volunteer opportunities, and where to find Jennifer at upcoming school events.

Follow me for updates from school sites and campaign events!

Jennifer Jacobson and Trustee Teri Chavez at Aragon's baseball field

"This campaign runs on neighbors showing up for each other — thank you for being part of it."