San Mateo-Foster City funding, governance and active work
San Mateo-Foster City School District
How a community-funded K-8 district is balancing operations with a large bond program
Who controls San Mateo-Foster City's schools and money?
Five locally elected trustees set policy, adopt the budget and oversee facilities; the superintendent administers the district. The district identifies itself as Basic Aid, or community funded: local property-tax revenue exceeds its state LCFF entitlement, so property taxes supply most LCFF revenue, supplemented by state and federal categorical aid, local revenue and voter-approved parcel and facilities taxes.
Five trustees govern by area
Trustees serve four-year terms and act on the K-8 program, budget, policy and facilities improvements.
Property taxes drive operating funding
The 2025-26 adopted budget reports $155.85 million in LCFF sources, 76.5% of General Fund revenue, principally property taxes for this community-funded district.
Measure T supports capital work
Voters approved the $409 million bond in November 2020; proceeds are restricted to authorized facilities projects and overseen separately from daily operations.
Declining enrollment pressures the plan
The adopted budget projects reduced attendance-based funding and includes staffing adjustments in later years.
The 2025-26 General Fund plan spends about $10.46 million more than it receives, drawing down fund balance, while Measure V parcel-tax spending also exceeds current-year revenue and its authority expires in 2027-28.
Budget and facilities scale
Includes other financing sources.
Includes other financing uses.
Calculated as spending less revenue; later updates may revise this amount.
Approved by 64% of voters in November 2020.
Major projects
Measure T capital program
Multiple 2026 bid packages activeThe district is advancing field, fire-alarm, restroom, HVAC, flooring and hazardous-material work under its bond-funded facilities program.
- Bowditch hazardous-material remediation invitation posted
- Bowditch athletic field and basketball-court bid invitation posted
- Bowditch field bid tabulation and subcontractor lists posted
Funding
Measure T and Measure X general-obligation bond proceeds, with developer fees where eligible
The amount is Measure T's total authorization, not the budget for the listed 2026 packages.
2026 Facilities Master Plan implementation decision
Plan adopted; new funding decision pendingThe Board adopted a site-by-site facilities roadmap covering aging building systems, learning spaces, portables, safety, accessibility and energy efficiency, but has not approved a new bond measure.
- Multi-stakeholder planning process began during September 2025
- Draft plan presented to the Board
- Board adopted the updated plan and discussed possible bond next steps
- First regular Board meeting of the 2026-27 cycle
Funding
Not yet secured; a future voter-approved Proposition 39 facilities bond is under consideration
Existing Measure T/X and developer-fee work is separate from unfunded needs in the 2026 plan.
This overview uses the district's adopted budget, trustee pages, facilities plan and current bid register. Calculations are labeled and official reported figures retain their source links.
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