Peninsula schools and districts: check address and grade before enrolling

Start with the intended school year, grade, and actual residential address. A listing labeled San Mateo, Redwood City, or Palo Alto does not establish a school district or assigned school. This guide begins with public K–12 district lookup; private schools and specialized programs have separate application rules.

Start with the county directory, then check elementary and high-school districts

• San Mateo County: use the SMCOE directory to identify the district serving the address. The county includes unified districts and separate elementary and high-school districts; siblings in different grades may need two offices.
• For the San Mateo–Foster City area, check elementary or middle school through the SMFCSD locator and separately check SMUHSD for high school. A locator result does not guarantee space, and this district pairing does not apply throughout the Peninsula.
• Palo Alto: use School Finder on the PAUSD registration page for the residential address and intended grade. A mailing-city name, nearby school, or property advertisement cannot replace official confirmation.

Handle enrollment, transfers, and language support separately

After selecting the school year, use the district checklist for residence, age, health, and other documents, submit through its system, and save the receipt. Moving during the current year differs from next-year priority enrollment; an old deadline does not establish whether you can apply. SMUHSD confirms placement after staff review, and SMFCSD may assign another school based on grade-level capacity. Ask about the separate forms, review, and notification processes for intradistrict and interdistrict transfers; submitting a form is not approval.

If English is not the main home language, ask about the home-language survey, assessment, interpretation, and classroom support; PAUSD provides an English learner services entry point. For an existing learning-support plan, ask how to transfer it securely and arrange continuity. Also discuss adjustment and after-school care without assuming every school offers the same programs.

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Ask about daily school life; use separate systems for college

Use the official directory to reach school websites and arrange an office appointment, information session, or open house. Compare classes, bell times, pickup arrangements, and after-school availability and costs. For College of San Mateo, find maps and visits on the homepage and apply through Apply. At Stanford, use Engage for visits and Apply for first-year or transfer requirements. Colleges do not assign admission through K–12 residential boundaries, and visiting does not guarantee acceptance.

Hello, we plan to apply for [grade] in [school year/month] and have checked your official address locator. Should we use new-student enrollment, an intradistrict school change, or an interdistrict transfer? What documents are needed, and how do we confirm school placement and the start date? We would also like information about [language/learning/after-school care] support.