San Mateo-Foster City School District

Superintendent

Superintendent's Letter - October 2017

Dear San Mateo-Foster City Community,

I hope that you and your loved ones are well and out of harm’s way with the recent fires in Northern California.  We know that many families, students and schools have been affected and we are in the process of learning how we can best help those communities.  I am also hopeful that you have had some time to spend with your family during the October break.  As we return to school it will be a busy time with much to learn and many fun activities for our students.  I look forward to seeing you at the various fall celebrations over the next couple of months.
 
Labor Negotiations
The San Mateo Elementary Teachers Association (SMETA) and the San Mateo–Foster City School District jointly requested the support of a mediator to bring a positive result to our on-going negotiations.  As of this writing there have been four mediation sessions.  We do realize that bringing contract negotiations to a conclusion has been a particularly lengthy process.  At the same time, we continue to believe that this process will result in a mutually acceptable agreement.
 
Budget
As you may know, the District is experiencing a structural deficit resulting from the loss of parcel tax funding combined with escalating costs of the STRS and PERS retirement systems and other necessary services.  In order to make this information more accessible, the District has joined with other districts in the County in providing financial information on a user friendly platform called OpenGov.  The platform is live and I encourage you to take a few minutes to visit the online site -  smfcsdca.opengov.com (please see article below for more information).
 
Fiscal Advisory Committee
I am forming a Superintendent’s Fiscal Advisory Committee (FAC) which will meet three times during the next couple of months to review the District budget, reductions that will be necessary to balance the budget and to discuss revenue enhancements potentially in the form of a parcel tax.  I am looking for community-wide representation on this Committee. To be considered for appointment, please complete an application by Monday, October 30th. Applications are online at - https://tinyurl.com/SMFCSD-FAC

In order to form a robust Fiscal Advisory Committee, with representation from our stakeholders, there will need to be a selection process.  Applicants who are not selected for this committee, as well as any interested community member, are encouraged to participate in reviewing our fiscal options by attending our upcoming Community Meetings in December, see our website for more details coming soon.  If you are unable to attend these meetings, but would like to express your thoughts regarding budget priorities and a potential parcel tax, there will be an online survey that will open in December (please see article below for more information).

Education Foundation
We continue to be grateful to the San Mateo–Foster City School District Education Foundation for their support of District programs.  The recent RUN2FunD at Hillsdale High was a huge success both in terms of community building and fundraising.  Thank you to President Colleen Sullivan, the Education Foundation Board and the many volunteers who supported this event.
 
Candidates for School Board
Seven community members are running to fill three open seats on the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees.   Please join us for a Candidate Forum hosted by the SMFCSD PTA and League of Women Voters on Monday, October 23rd at 7:00 pm at the District Office.
 
Sincerely,
Joan Rosas, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Q:  How do I pre-register my children for school?

A: Please visit the How to Register page for information about school registration.

Q: What school is closest to me?

A: Use the SchoolFinder to find out. You can also look at the district map.

Q: What are SMFCSD's Magnet Schools/Programs?

A: Yes. View the list of Magnet Schools.

Q: How old must a child be to enter Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten (TK)?

A: To be eligible for Kindergarten, the student’s 5th birthday must be on or before September 1.  To be eligible for TK, the student’s 5th birthday must fall on or between September 2 – December 2.  Attend a SMFCSD Kindergarten Information Meeting in November/January to find out more about what to expect - Enrollment & Student Registration.

San Mateo-Foster City School District is hiring. View openings:

• Employment Opportunities – Certificated
• Employment Opportunities – Classified
• Employment Opportunities – Management
• Employment Opportunities – Other Positions

Substitute Teaching Positions

Do you have a Bachelor’s degree and teaching, coaching or other experiences working with students? Consider becoming a substitute teacher for our District. View details