San Mateo Union High School District expands equity program

At its board meeting June 12, trustees approved expanding this renowned program to San Mateo High School, Aragon High School, Bridge Academy and Abbott Middle School that, over the next five years, will work with public and private partnerships to support students. It will ideally expand to other feeder middle schools, as well. 

“This is one of those items that I think is supported by anyone who ever saw it,” board President Robert Griffin said. 

Without the advantages of a unified school district, it is often difficult to collaborate with feeder middle schools, Yvonne Shiu, principal of San Mateo High School, said. The expanded Empowerment Through Action program and collaboration with other districts will allow for longer term and well-rounded support for students, she said. 

Across San Mateo and Foster City, more than 1,000 middle and high school students are identified as affected by the high cost of living in the area, facing risks of academic failure, behavioral challenges and limited access to long-term opportunities, according to a staff report. The Empowerment Through Action program works to close that achievement gap, said Brett Stevenson, dean of students at Hillsdale High School. 

“It’s not from a lack of ability that holds students back, but rather a lack of opportunity or coordinated support,” Stevenson said. 

The key pillars of the Empowerment Through Action program include after-school tutoring, weekly mentoring, enrichment activities, support into and out of high school, and job and internship placement. 

At Hillsdale High School, the impact of the program can be seen in higher graduation rates, lower suspension rates and fewer students transferring to the district’s alternative high school. It also can be noted in student improvements that can’t be quantified, Ed Canda, the program counselor at Hillsdale High School, said. 

“You may not see a result in a stat, but them being more self confident and knowing how to manage their stress and knowing that they’re going to get through it and knowing that they have trusted people they can count on, I think that makes a difference,” Canda said. 

The expansion of the program is the next step in implementing holistic support systems for students throughout the entire district. 

After the pandemic, the district and educators were able to see just how dependent some families are on all the services a school provides, Bridge Academy Principal Samia Shoman said. 

“Our families need support accessing these types of activities,” Shoman said. 

The board’s vote approved dedicating almost $1 million from a state grant toward expanding the program for San Mateo and Foster City high school students, and potentially middle school students, over the next two years. Nearly $500,000 will also go toward the two-year expansion sourced from the Empowerment Through Action nonprofit — a recently established organization that was previously financed through the Hillsdale High School Foundation. 

District staff will work toward securing public and private donors for long-term fiscal support of the program, Stevenson said. A five-year expansion plan hopes to outline how the district will impact students. Long-term implementation will include establishing partnerships with community organizations and nonprofits to provide services to students. 

“We have people in our community who want to help,” Trustee Jennifer Jacobson said. “Take advantage of that. Leverage that.” 

Implementation of programs at the identified schools will begin in January 2026, and by May 2026, there will be a group of students from the feeder middle schools who will be brought into the program for academic support. Over three to four years, more grade levels will be integrated into the program, and additional programs like community closets and wraparound food services will be implemented at the schools. 

The expanded Empowerment Through Action program will show “the collective compassion and generosity and power of the people living and working in San Mateo and Foster City,” Stevenson said.