About the district
Redwood City School District (RCSD) is a TK-8 public school district in San Mateo County, California, covering Redwood City and parts of Atherton, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Woodside. It has 12 schools: 8 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 K-8.
As of October 2025, 6,337 students were enrolled. That number has been dropping by about 130 per year, and the budget projects 6,210 in 2026-27 and 6,086 in 2027-28. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 8)
Who the students are
As of Spring 2025, the district reported about 3,780 students (58%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, about 2,165 (33%) classified as English Learners, 462 experiencing homelessness, and 7 in foster care. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 8)
The state calls these students "unduplicated pupils" -- a bureaucratic term that just means: students who are low-income, English Learners, foster youth, or homeless, counted once even if they fit more than one category. About 60.7% of RCSD students qualify. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 8) That percentage varies enormously by school:
| School | Grades | Enrollment | % high-need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield | K-5 | 260 | 97% |
| Hoover | TK-8 | 659 | 97% |
| Taft | TK-5 | 325 | 97% |
| McKinley MIT | 6-8 | 401 | 93% |
| Roosevelt | TK-5 | 344 | 73% |
| Henry Ford | K-5 | 461 | 70% |
| Kennedy Middle | 6-8 | 788 | 69% |
| Adelante Selby | TK-5 | 630 | 65% |
| Clifford | TK-8 | 664 | 52% |
| Orion | TK-5 | 549 | 32% |
| Roy Cloud | TK-8 | 665 | 16% |
| North Star Academy | 3-8 | 553 | 1% |
Enrollment from 2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 5. High-need % from 2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 8 ("unduplicated pupils").
Types of schools
Families are assigned to one of seven neighborhood schools (Clifford, Garfield, Henry Ford, Hoover, Roosevelt, Roy Cloud, Taft) based on address. They can also apply to schools of choice: Adelante Selby and Orion are dual language immersion (Spanish and Mandarin), North Star Academy is a 3-8 program, and McKinley MIT is a technology-focused middle school. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, pp. 7-8)
Eight of the 12 schools are designated Community Schools, meaning they offer services beyond regular instruction: family centers, food distribution, mental health counseling, and transportation help.
How schools are performing
State test scores
California students in grades 3-8 take the CAASPP test each year in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. Results show the percentage of students who "met or exceeded" the state standard -- who are at or above grade level.
District-wide for 2023-24: 45.2% met the standard in ELA and 37.2% in Math. The statewide averages were 47% and 35%. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 9)
Updated 2024-25 results (91% of scores in so far) show improvement: 49.6% in ELA (+4.4) and 39.9% in Math (+2.7). (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 10)
School-by-school scores (2023-24)
The range across schools is wide. Scores below show the percentage meeting or exceeding the standard, alongside chronic absenteeism (students missing 10%+ of school days).
| School | ELA | Math | Chronic absent. |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Star Academy | 96% | 96% | 3.2% |
| Roy Cloud | 67% | 59% | 8.0% |
| Clifford | 55% | 45% | 20.7% |
| Orion | 53% | 51% | 12.6% |
| Kennedy Middle | 49% | 30% | 23.8% |
| Henry Ford | 46% | 38% | 24.8% |
| Adelante Selby | 34% | 36% | 15.4% |
| Taft | 19% | 13% | 26.7% |
| Hoover | 17% | 13% | 28.5% |
| Roosevelt | 16% | 18% | 26.9% |
| Garfield | 12% | 8% | 28.8% |
| McKinley MIT | 10% | 7% | n/a† |
2023-24 SARCs (published 2024-25) and 2025-26 SPSAs. †McKinley MIT's SARC reports 0% chronic absenteeism across all student groups -- the data was not entered. The school's actual rate is not available from this source.
Scores by student group
Across the district in 2023-24: Asian students scored 85% in both ELA and Math. White students scored 78% ELA, 73% Math. Students identifying as Two or More Races scored 86% ELA, 80% Math. Economically disadvantaged students scored 28% ELA, 20% Math. English Learners scored 5-9% in ELA and about 7% in Math. Students with Disabilities scored about 14% in Math. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 9)
Attendance and suspensions
The district's chronic absenteeism rate was 18.3% in 2023-24 -- nearly 1 in 5 students missing 10% or more of school days. Rates ranged from about 3% at North Star to 29% at Garfield and Hoover. Average daily attendance was about 94%. (2023-24 SARCs, published 2024-25; 2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 9; 2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 8)
The overall suspension rate dropped from 2.2% to 1.0%. It ranged from 0% at Adelante Selby to 10.8% at McKinley MIT. (2023-24 SARCs, published 2024-25; 2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025)
Where the money comes from and goes
RCSD is a "Basic Aid" district, meaning its local property taxes bring in more than it would get from the state's standard formula. Property taxes are the main revenue source. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 7)
How school district budgets work. A district's main account is its General Fund, which covers day-to-day operations: teacher salaries, benefits, buildings, and supplies. Most of the numbers on this page come from the General Fund. Separately, districts also have restricted funds earmarked for specific uses (special education, facilities bonds, cafeteria operations) that can't be spent on other things. The state requires every district to keep a minimum reserve (3% of spending for districts RCSD's size) as a safety net.
One unusual revenue source for RCSD is Redevelopment Agency (RDA) transfers -- money from a now-dissolved local redevelopment agency that flows to the district through property tax pass-throughs. The $11 million received in 2025-26 is not expected to continue in future years.
For 2025-26, the General Fund shows $157.8 million in revenue and $160.1 million in spending -- a gap of about $2.3 million covered by drawing down savings. The fund balance at year-end is projected at $14.8 million, right at the state-required 3% minimum reserve. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, pp. 9-10)
Revenue
| Source | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Local property taxes | $87.3M | 55% |
| Extra state grants for high-need students | $10.2M | 6% |
| Special Education property taxes | $5.5M | 4% |
| Other state funds | $18.2M | 12% |
| Local revenues (fees, interest, other) | $16.3M | 10% |
| Redevelopment Agency (RDA) transfers | $11.0M | 7% |
| Federal funds | $4.8M | 3% |
| Measure U parcel tax | $1.6M | 1% |
| Lottery | $1.7M | 1% |
| Total | $157.8M | 100% |
2025-26 First Interim Presentation, Dec. 2025, p. 6. Watch presentation Presentation slides
About two-thirds of the budget is local property taxes. Federal money is just 3%. Measure U is a voter-approved parcel tax bringing in about $1.6 million per year; it's up for renewal in June 2026.
Spending
| Category | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher and administrator salaries | $54.0M | 34% |
| Support staff salaries (office, custodial, bus drivers, aides) | $30.0M | 19% |
| Employee benefits (health insurance, retirement) | $40.1M | 25% |
| Services and operations (contracts, utilities, maintenance) | $29.6M | 19% |
| Books and supplies | $5.6M | 3% |
| Capital and other | $0.8M | <1% |
| Total | $160.1M | 100% |
2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 11; presentation, pp. 8-9.
Salaries and benefits together account for 77.5% of spending. Per-student spending from the General Fund is about $25,260. (2025-26 First Interim Presentation, Dec. 2025, p. 10)
Multi-year outlook
The budget projections show spending exceeding revenue in each of the next two years. To maintain the required 3% reserve, the district included line items for unidentified cuts in the First Interim: $5.25 million in 2026-27 and $3.5 million in 2027-28. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 7; presentation, p. 15)
| 2025-26 | 2026-27 (proj.) | 2027-28 (proj.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $157.8M | $153.9M | $160.2M |
| Spending | $160.1M | $154.9M | $157.7M |
| Cuts still to be identified | -- | $5.25M | $3.5M |
| Ending fund balance | $14.8M | $13.8M | $16.3M |
| Reserve % | 3.01% | 3.16% | 3.01% |
Revenue dips in 2026-27 partly because the $11 million RDA transfer received this year is not projected to continue. (2025-26 First Interim Presentation, Dec. 2025, p. 15)
Budget reduction plan
In February 2026, the board accepted the superintendent's budget reduction recommendations, specifying how the district will achieve the projected cuts. The plan identifies $6.04 million in reductions for 2026-27 and $6.11 million ongoing, eliminating 31.75 full-time-equivalent positions. (Superintendent Budget Reduction Recommendations, Feb. 4, 2026) Watch board discussion Reduction plan (PDF)
The largest share -- 17 teaching positions ($2.30 million) -- is described as "Enrollment/Attrition," meaning positions will be eliminated as teachers leave or enrollment declines, not through layoffs of current staff. Guest teacher funding would also be reduced by $400K. On the classified side, 7 paraeducator and 2 LVN positions ($712K) would be cut, along with a testing specialist. Administrative reductions include the Director of Student Services and the Coordinator of Community Schools, among others. An additional $1.28 million comes from bringing contracted special education services in-house.
What the district is working on
The LCAP is the district's main planning document. It sets goals, describes programs, and tracks progress. RCSD's 2025-26 LCAP has three goals. Watch LCAP hearing LCAP document
Goal 1
Getting students to school and keeping them safe
Six schools now use PBIS, a system for teaching and reinforcing positive behavior, with plans to expand to all 12. The district has reassigned some teachers to work as full-time attendance specialists, meeting directly with families of chronically absent students. Mental health counseling is contracted through One-Life Counseling. Community Schools distributed food to 5,466 households and gave out 1,048 backpacks in the first two trimesters of 2024-25. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, pp. 12-14, 18)
Goal 2
English Learner progress
At schools the state has flagged for low performance among specific student groups, the district hired an outside coaching firm (Komin) to train teachers on weaving English language instruction into regular subject lessons -- so students build language skills and learn content at the same time. Dual language immersion programs at Adelante Selby (Spanish) and Orion (Mandarin) are also part of this goal. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, pp. 7, 19)
Goal 3
Academic achievement
Of the $160.1 million General Fund, $65.9 million is tied to LCAP programs: $57.3 million on academics, $7.5 million on engagement and climate, $3.2 million on English Learner programs. The state's Supplemental and Concentration grants add $10.6 million for services to low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. (2025-26 LCAP Budget Overview for Parents, June 2025, pp. 1-2)
What parents asked for
In the LCAP parent survey, families ranked mental health services as their top priority, followed by bilingual instructional assistants at high-need schools, after-school tutoring, behavior support staff, and reading intervention teachers. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, p. 20)
Teacher staffing
Credentialing
A "fully credentialed" teacher has completed a state-approved preparation program and holds the right license for what they teach. A "misassigned" teacher is teaching outside their credential.
As of the most recent SARC data (2022-23 school year), credentialing rates ranged from 52% at Hoover to 91% at Henry Ford and Adelante Selby:
| School | % Fully credentialed | % Misassigned |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Ford | 90.6% | 1.7% |
| Adelante Selby | 90.5% | 0% |
| Garfield | 87.4% | 0.3% |
| Clifford | 86.1% | 0% |
| North Star | 79.7% | 0% |
| Roy Cloud | 79.7% | 8.3% |
| Orion | 68.4% | 14.6% |
| Kennedy | 60.5% | 22.3% |
| McKinley MIT | 56.5% | 22.9% |
| Roosevelt | 56.5% | 28.1% |
| Taft | 56.3% | 15.6% |
| Hoover | 52.0% | 36.7% |
2023-24 SARCs (published 2024-25, reporting 2022-23 CDE data).
The district average is about 75%. The LCAP target is 100% by 2027. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025)
Workforce
The district had 302 teaching positions in 2024-25. Turnover has been dropping: 60 departures in 2022-23, 51 in 2023-24, and 38 in 2024-25 (11.8% turnover). Of those 38, 18 were non-reelections (the district chose not to renew), 16 resignations, and 4 retirements. (RCSD HR Data Briefing, March 2026)
Supplemental school budgets
Beyond the district's base operating costs (teacher salaries, buildings, administration), each school gets supplemental funds through a School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). This money pays for things like extra counselors, tutoring, enrichment, and instructional materials.
| School | SPSA budget | Per student | Main funding sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelante Selby | $854K | $1,467 | Title I, District, PTO, Measure U |
| McKinley MIT | $795K | $1,656 | District ($610K, state-flagged for extra support) |
| Hoover | $734K | $1,073 | Title I, Measure U, Prop 28 (arts) |
| Henry Ford | $681K | $1,523 | District, Measure U, PTO |
| Clifford | $665K | $951 | PTO ($196K), Measure U |
| North Star | $564K | $1,066 | PTA ($326K), Measure U |
| Kennedy | $563K | $694 | Title I, Measure U, Prop 28 |
| Roy Cloud | $415K | $652 | District, PTO, Measure U |
| Garfield | $243K | $872 | Measure U, Prop 28, Title I |
| Orion | $235K | $456 | PTO ($130K), Measure U |
| Roosevelt | $223K | $569 | Prop 28, Title I |
| Taft | $190K | $521 | Prop 28, Measure U, Title I |
Where the money comes from depends on the school's student population. Title I is federal money for schools with high percentages of low-income students; North Star, Roy Cloud, and Orion don't receive it. McKinley MIT gets $610K in district funding because the state identified it as needing extra support for specific student groups (a designation called ATSI). PTO/PTA contributions range from $326K at North Star to $0 at Garfield, Taft, Hoover, and Roosevelt. Measure U is the local parcel tax. Prop 28 funds arts and music.
Trends to watch
Keeps declining -- roughly 6,700 a few years ago, 6,337 now, projected 6,086 by 2027-28. As a Basic Aid district, RCSD's property tax revenue isn't directly tied to student count the way formula-funded districts are, but the decline still affects state and federal funding. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, p. 8)
Running a deficit. The fund balance has dropped from $17.1 million to a projected $14.8 million this year, right at the 3% state minimum. The First Interim included $5.25 million in unidentified cuts for 2026-27 and $3.5 million for 2027-28. In February 2026, the board specified those cuts: $6.04 million in reductions for 2026-27, including 31.75 positions (17 teaching positions through enrollment decline and attrition, plus classified and administrative staff). The $11 million RDA transfer received this year is not expected to continue. And Measure U, the parcel tax bringing in $1.6 million per year, faces a renewal vote in June 2026. (2025-26 First Interim, Dec. 2025, pp. 9-10, 15; Budget Reduction Recommendations, Feb. 2026)
Moving up -- district-wide ELA went from 45.2% to 49.6%, Math from 37.2% to 39.9% -- but wide gaps remain between schools and between student groups. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025, pp. 9-10)
Not improving. The LCAP target is 9.9% by 2027. The most recent data shows the rate actually rose from 18.3% to 19%. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025)
Has inched from 71.8% to about 75%, against a target of 100% by 2027. Several schools -- particularly those serving the most low-income students -- remain well below the average. (2025-26 LCAP, adopted June 2025; 2023-24 SARCs, published 2024-25)