During my time on the Board
The full picture, by category
The homepage highlights a few headline results. Here's a fuller, categorized look — including a couple of honest notes about where there's more work to do. These reflect results across the whole Board's work, not something I take sole credit for.
For the district's own full accomplishments list, see smuhsd.org/accomplishments →
Academics
93.6%
Graduation rate — highest in five years, with gains among Multilingual Learners and students receiving Special Ed services
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
Exited
District exited Differentiated Assistance status due to program growth and rising graduation rates
↓
Honest note: A-G completion and access to two-plus college-level courses declined in the most recent reporting cycle — the reason revisiting graduation requirements is a top platform priority
23
Sections of Community & Literacy in Action (support for Multilingual Learners) this year, up from 13 the year before
93–99%
Dual-enrollment pass rate for students taking college courses through local community colleges
Student Support & Wellness
94% vs 79%
Graduation rate for ETA (Empowerment Through Action) students at Hillsdale vs. similar peers, with suspensions down 50%
140
Families served weekly by the Peace Pantry at Hillsdale High
24
Special Education students projected to graduate this year through the new Plan 7 pathway — up from just 5 the year before, giving students an achievable path to a diploma
75.4%
Improvement in attendance among chronically absent students, from August to November, through School Attendance Review Teams
44
Automated External Defibrillators updated across every district site
50+
Newcomer students who took part in the first districtwide 12th-grade Newcomer field trip to College of San Mateo, getting a first look at college life and campus resources
Budget
$244.8M
FY 2025-26 budgeted revenue, roughly matching budgeted expenditures — a balanced, community-funded budget
12%+
Reserve level maintained above the state minimum, providing stability even amid federal funding uncertainty
<1.5%
Share of district revenue that comes from federal funding — the vast majority comes from stable local property taxes
Positive
Certification on all state budget and interim financial reporting
Facilities
26 of 51
Measure L bond projects completed — more than half the $385M bond already invested, on track for full completion by 2028
New
Lighted artificial turf baseball & flex field completed at Aragon High School
2
New gyms completed at Burlingame and San Mateo High
100%
Districtwide solar rollout underway, alongside a new electric school bus fleet
$1M+
Facilities Use revenue generated in a recent five-month stretch, ahead of the prior year's pace
120
Classrooms being modernized through the Classroom Transformation Project at Burlingame and Capuchino High this summer, with four more school sites to follow
Operations & Community
400+
Students and family members connected with 50+ employers at a recent Districtwide Career Expo
Zero
Staff account cybersecurity compromise incidents in a recent semester, after new multi-factor authentication rollout
2,200+
Chromebooks deployed to incoming 9th graders
80+
Certificated and classified educators who earned Permanent Status in a recent year
115+
Pieces of content translated into Spanish for families in one semester alone
17,768
Page views on the SMUHSD Spanish Facebook page (Jan 1–Apr 21), with 482 followers and content interactions up 9.7% — popular posts include Latino Parent Organization events, Cultural Nights, and San Mateo High's Grupo Folklórico
Sources: SMUHSD Board semester highlight presentations, Superintendent progress updates, and San Mateo Daily Journal reporting.