13 Peninsula School Districts Awarded $400K In COVID-19 Funds

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA –Local school districts throughout San Mateo County are about to receive some of the funding they desperately need.

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) has awarded $400,000 in COVID-19 Education Partnership Funds to 13 public school districts in San Mateo County.

The COVID-19 Education Partnership is a joint effort between the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the Santa Clara County Office of Education that seeks to help local school districts address immediate challenges and longer-term recovery efforts related to COVID-19.

SMCOE received requests for just under $1.4 million dollars for projects that connect students with learning and teachers, support food programs, promote mental health and wellness, and provide summer programs for students with special needs.

As a result of these grants, the Redwood City School District will be able to more effectively meet the distance learning needs of early elementary school students, Jefferson Elementary School District will continue providing mental health supports to students, La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District will offer reading support through the summer, and Jefferson Union High School District and other districts can continue providing meals to students in need.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation seeded the COVID-19 Education Partnership effort with $1 million. In addition, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has matched the foundation's commitment with $1 million to support PreK-12 students, teachers, and schools as part of the company's COVID-19 pandemic response in service of public health and emergency community needs.

“We are grateful to Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Genentech for helping us ensure every student in the county has access to education, food, mental health, and other critical supports necessary for distance learning. As we move forward, I ask the San Mateo County community to support this effort as the need is great and will not disappear any time soon,” shared San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee.

To learn more about the COVID-19 Education Partnership, please visit the San Mateo County Office of Education’s website. To join the COVID-19 Education Partnership in supporting San Mateo County students and schools during this challenging time, please donate here.