More than 1,000 multilingual learner students and a new cross-district partnership with Santa Clara Unified are among the topics when the San Mateo Union High School District board holds its first regular meeting of the 2026-27 school year Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m.

The agenda also includes the second presentation of the Robert H. Griffin Leadership Award and start-of-school reports from principals. The meeting takes place at 650 N. Delaware St.

Griffin Award's second recipient

The Griffin Leadership Award, first presented in December 2025, recognizes district staff for leadership focused on excellence, equity and student success, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported.

The award is named for Trustee Robert H. Griffin, a San Mateo High School graduate who has served on the board since January 1996. The district has not announced who will receive the award Thursday. Bridge Academy principal Dr. Samia Shoman was the inaugural recipient.

The award is given once per semester.

Multilingual Learner PLC Fellows Program

Trustees will hear a special presentation on the Multilingual Learner Professional Learning Community Fellows Program. The district has not released details on the program's structure or which schools are involved, but SMUHSD serves roughly 1,000 students currently classified as multilingual learners and another 2,000 formerly classified students, according to the district's multilingual programs page. About 30% of district students are bilingual.

The board last received a multilingual learner progress report in December 2025. This school year, the district assessed 224 incoming eighth graders through a new intake process and ran a summer school session at Peninsula High School in Burlingame that served 124 students, according to a district spotlight report.

Santa Clara USD partnership

The board will vote to approve a memorandum of understanding with Santa Clara Unified School District. The meeting agenda lists the item under Human Resources, but the specific terms have not been made public.

Other business

Trustees will also vote on an updated AVID Adult Tutor job description. SMUHSD runs AVID at Aragon, Burlingame, Capuchino and San Mateo high schools, where more than 85% of participants are accepted to four-year colleges.

The meeting is open to the public in person or via Zoom (Webinar ID: 955 8452 1141; Passcode: 995656). Residents can submit comments anytime at [email protected].