Hillsborough has three award-winning public elementary schools and one public middle school. Elementary school assignments are determined by street address, and can be viewed here: School Boundaries for Hillsborough School Assignments By Street. Crocker Middle School in the Lower North neighborhood serves all of the Town of Hillsborough for grades 6 -8.
For Hillsborough Elementary School District School Boundaries, (North, South, West), click here.
Hillsborough does not have its own public High School. Therefore, students are assigned to either Burlingame High, Aragon High, or San Mateo High determined by street address. High School boundaries for Hillsborough addresses can be viewed here:
View which Public High Schools are Assigned to which street in Hillsborough (*Please note when you enter address into Web site, it will likely substitute Burlingame for Hillsborough, just click through to map after typing address and it will verify location properly)
Explore All Hillsborough Neighborhoods at Geoffrey Nelson’s Hillsborough Google Map.
South Hillsborough School
(K-5) 303 El Cerrito Avenue, Hillsborough CA 94010. (650) 344-0303
North Hillsborough School
(K-5) 545 Eucalyptus Avenue, Hillsborough CA 94010 (650) 347-4175
West Hillsborough School
(K-5) 376 Barbara Way, Hillsborough CA 94010 (650) 344-9870
Crocker Middle School
(6-8) 2600 Ralston Avenue, Hillsborough CA 94010 (650) 342-6331
Private School Options in the Hillsborough area
Nueva School (PreK - 12)
The Nueva School is an internationally-recognized independent PreK-12 school, serving gifted learners since 1967. There are two campuses: the lower and middle school at the Hillsborough location built around the historic Skyfarm mansion; the high school on the San Mateo campus at Bay Meadows built in 2013. The school is a three-time winner of the US Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Award, winner of the American Institute of Architects Award for School Design and Sustainability, recognized as an Apple Distinguished Program, appointed an Ashoka Changemaker School, a co-founder of the Common Ground Speaker Series, and sponsor of the Innovative Learning Conference. Nueva is a student-centered school known for its distinctive inquiry-based interdisciplinary studies, constructivist project-based learning, and its pioneering work in social emotional learning and design thinking.
Crystal Springs Uplands School (6 - 12)
Founded in 1952, Crystal Springs Uplands School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school located on the San Francisco peninsula. Serving grades 6-12, CSUS provides an intimate, collaborative community that encourages students to pursue their passions, explore new interests, build confidence, develop compassion and thrive in an environment of academic excellence.
With a 26% admit rate, CSUS enrolls 350 students from 70 elementary schools and 53 middle schools. Our student body reflects CSUS’s strong commitment to cultural, social and socioeconomic diversity. Fifty-two percent of the student community identifies as students of color. Our generous financial aid program annually awards over $2M in grants to nearly 20% of the student body.
St. Matthew's Episcopal Day School (PreK - 8)
Rooted in the best principles of Episcopal education, St. Matthew’s welcomes students from all religions, denominations, faiths and also, those with no faith background. Approximately 10% of the students are Episcopalian, which is typical for Episcopal schools. We engage in inclusive common worship, are committed to academic rigor and intellectual inquiry, respect the dignity of every human being, appreciate the cultural, racial, socio-economic and religious diversity of our community and world.The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew has an abiding commitment to education since 1865, when it established St. Matthew’s Hall, a military boarding school for boys. The same commitment to education and inquiry has remained consistent through several iterations and continues today at St. Matthew's Episcopal Day School, founded in its present form in 1953.
The Carey School (K - 5)
- An independent day school
- Grades: pre-kindergarten to fifth
- Founded: 1928
- Unique offerings: content specialists, Thinkering Lab, garden, laboratory science, math enrichment, service learning program, on-site chef
- Content specialists (all grades): homeroom/core, science, thinkering, Spanish, French, library, physical education, art, music
- Enrichment/support specialists: math and literacy
- Active parents association and alumni group
- Enrollment: 258
- Average class size: 19
- Student-to-teacher ratio: 10:1
- Content specialists students see each week: 9
- Tuition (2019-2020): kindergarten through fifth grade: $30,860 | pre-kindergarten: $25,845
- Financial aid: We award more than $600,000 in financial assistance
- Campus located in San Mateo near Alameda de las Pulgas and Highway 92
History of Public Schools in Hillsborough, California
The first Hillsborough school was housed in the George Howard home located near Roehampton and Richmond Roads. In 1911, it was used as a combination City Hall, Fire Department, and community center. A classroom was built, and a teacher-principal was hired for the six students enrolled.
The first portion of the SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOL was completed in 1917. The school consisted of an office, cafeteria, library, and nine classrooms for children attending kindergarten through eighth grade. In 1930, the auditorium was built. During the 1940s, a section of the polo field was acquired for the playground, and in 1948, a field house was constructed. New classrooms and the Koshland Memorial Library were added in 1964. South has been designated a California Distinguished School in 1987, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
NORTH HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOL opened its doors in September, 1950, with an enrollment of 175 children. Additions were completed in 1952 and 1956. In response to declining enrollment and limited stated funding, North School was closed between 1985 and 1990. In the interim, it was used for recreational, educational and civic purposes. North has been designed a California Distinguished School in 1995, 2000, and 2004.
Land for the WEST HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOL was purchased in 1953, and the third elementary school was opened the following year. Additional facilities were built in 1955. The multi-media center was completed in 1972. West has been designated a California Distinguished School in 1987, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
In 1959, WILLIAM H. CROCKER MIDDLE SCHOOL was opened for seventh and eighth graders. The sixth graders became part of the student body in 1972. That same year, the Gertrude Hinton Learning Center, science facilities, gymnasium, and unified arts center were built. Crocker was designated a California Distinguished School in 1982, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003 and 2007. Crocker also received the National Blue Ribbon Secondary School, Excellence in Education Award in 1983, 1989, 1996 and 2005. Crocker is the only middle school in the United States to be recognized four times. In 1993, Crocker achieved world class status by being recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy as one of the top five schools in the world.
Research
View School Boundaries for Hillsborough School Assignments By StreetView which Public High Schools are Assigned to which street in Hillsborough
Hillsborough Public Schools rank among the top in the nation. Three Elementary Schools of North, South, and West, respectively create community focal points of each neighborhood. Crocker Middle School is adjacent to North Elementary connecting to Chateau Drive.
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
—Wiliam Butler Yeats