What Sequoia Union High School District does

Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) is a California public high school district headquartered at 480 James Avenue in Redwood City, serving approximately 9,000 students in grades 9-12 across nine mid-Peninsula communities in San Mateo County. The district operates four comprehensive high schools (Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, and Woodside), a continuation high school (Redwood), an adult school serving ~2,000 students annually, a dependent charter (East Palo Alto Academy), a sponsored independent charter (Summit), and a Middle College dual-enrollment program with Cañada College. The academic portfolio includes more than 120 honors, AP, IB, Advanced Standing, and Dual Credit courses, alongside AVID, CTE pathways, English Learner programs, and special education services.

The underlying technology stack is a conventional multi-vendor EdTech environment: Google Workspace for Education, Canvas LMS (districtwide except Sequoia High School), Infinite Campus SIS, Schoolytics analytics dashboard, Ellevation for English Learner tracking, School City for assessments, ParentSquare for bilingual (English/Spanish) family communications, IncidentIQ for IT ticketing, and Relay for Chromebook monitoring. A 1:1 Chromebook program with district-controlled CIPA-compliant web filtering, Proxient timesheets, Frontline/AESOP absence management, and Colbi SecureBids procurement round out the operational layer.

SUHSD is a government entity under California LCFF per-pupil funding, supplemented by federal categorical programs (Title I/III, IDEA, Perkins CTE), local parcel taxes, voter-approved general obligation bonds (most recently a 2022 measure passing with ~63% approval under an AAA Moody's credit rating), developer impact fees, and Proposition 28 arts funding. The district offers free public education — no tuition or per-course fees — and is governed by an elected five-member Board of Trustees with Superintendent Crystal Leach leading the cabinet since March 2023.

Name

Sequoia Union High School District

Legal name

Sequoia Union High School District

Website

https://seq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sequoia Union High School District is a California public high school district serving ~9,000 students across nine mid-Peninsula communities via four comprehensive high schools, a continuation school, an adult school, and charter programs. It is funded by LCFF per-pupil allocations, local parcel taxes, bonds, and categorical state/federal grants, and offers 120+ AP/IB/honors courses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State and Federal Funding (LCFF): Primary revenue source based on Average Daily Attendance and enrollment under California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Amounts vary by student category (base grant plus supplemental and concentration grants for English learners, low-income students, and foster youth).
2. Local Parcel Taxes and Bond Measures: Local property tax revenues from voter-approved parcel taxes and general obligation bonds. The district passed a major facilities bond measure in 2022 with nearly 63% voter approval, enabling upgrades at all campuses. Bond funds are managed with AAA credit rating from Moody's.
3. Categorical Program Funding: Dedicated state and federal funding for specific programs including special education, Title I, Title III (English learners), Carl D. Perkins CTE, IDEA, and others. These funds are restricted to their designated purposes.
4. Developer Fees (School Impact Fees): One-time fees collected from new residential and commercial construction projects within district boundaries, authorized under California AB 2926. Fees are calculated per square footage of assessable space. Elementary school districts receive 60% and SUHSD receives 40%.
5. Per-Pupil Cost Recovery (TIDE Academy): TIDE Academy operates at approximately $39,000 per-pupil cost, roughly double that of other district high schools, contributing to the district's widening budget deficit. School closure planned by June 30 to address projected $6 million budget shortfall.
6. Proposition 28 Arts Funding: State arts education funding under Proposition 28, which increased visual arts funding from roughly $268,000 to $312,000 (a 16% increase) at Carlmont High School, enabling new teacher hiring and additional course offerings.
7. Food Services Revenue: Revenue from school meal programs, managed through the district's Food Services department at https://www.suhsdfoodservice.org/.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sequoia Union High School District is a California public high school district that provides free secondary education to nearly 9,000 students across four comprehensive high schools (Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside), a continuation high school (Redwood), a dependent charter (East Palo Alto Academy), a STEM academy (TIDE Academy), and an adult school serving ~2,000 learners annually. The district delivers 120+ honors, AP, IB, and dual-credit courses, CTE pathways, AVID college readiness, English learner programs, special education services, and a 1:1 Chromebook initiative.

Product overview

Sequoia Union High School District operates as a traditional public school district providing educational services through a multi-school portfolio. The district's primary offerings include four comprehensive high schools (Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, and Woodside), specialized schools (East Palo Alto Academy, Redwood continuation high school, and Adult School), and a Middle College program. Academic programs feature over 120 honors and AP courses, IB programs, Dual Enrollment college credit options, and Career Technical Education pathways, supported by a 1:1 Chromebook initiative and Google Workspace for Education integration. The district maintains digital infrastructure including the seq.org website (Finalsite CMS), Canvas LMS, Infinite Campus SIS, and a Schoolytics-powered performance dashboard. Student support services encompass counseling, mental health resources, Special Education, English Learner programs, and wellness initiatives. The district communicates with families through ParentSquare and provides technology support via IncidentIQ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive High Schools

Quantifiable outcome

• TIDE Academy per-pupil cost of ~$39,000, double that of other district schools, cited as rationale for closure to address $6M budget deficit
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cañada College (San Mateo County Community College District)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiddle College program collaboration with Cañada College allows SUHSD high school students to enroll in college courses and earn college credits while completing high school requirements. This partnership provides an accelerated pathway to higher education and reduces overall college costs for participating students. The program is hosted at Cañada College in Redwood City.
• Summit High School (Redwood City)minorOthersSUHSD is the sponsoring agency for Summit High School, an independent charter high school located in Redwood City. As the sponsoring agency, the district provides oversight and accountability for the charter school's operations and academic performance.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jefferson Union High School District: California Bay Area high school district operating a similar multi-school structure across northern San Mateo County communities; directly comparable in governance, funding model, and high-school-only scope.
• Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District: Comparable Bay Area suburban high school district with similar size, highly affluent demographic base, and rigorous academic offerings including IB and AP coursework.
• San Mateo Union High School District: Same-county K-12 district operating a portfolio of comprehensive high schools across the mid-Peninsula; directly comparable in scale, geographic context, LCFF funding model, and bond-funded capital program.
• Fremont Union High School District: Neighboring Bay Area high school district serving similar suburban Silicon Valley demographics with comparable academic breadth, AP/IB programs, and post-pandemic enrollment dynamics.
• Palo Alto Unified School District: Adjacent Bay Area K-12 district serving affluent Silicon Valley communities with comparable demographics, academic offerings, and parcel-tax-funded revenue model. Directly comparable in scope, governance structure, and student outcome profile.
• Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District: Adjacent Bay Area high school district with similar enrollment scale, affluent demographic profile, and comprehensive high school model covering Mountain View and Los Altos.
• East Side Union High School District: Larger California high school district with similar multi-school structure and AAA credit standing; serves diverse Silicon Valley populations with comparable LCFF funding and parcel-tax model.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Unified School District: Much larger Bay Area K-12 district operating under the same LCFF funding and California governance framework but with a primarily urban, more diverse student population and broader portfolio of schools.
• San Jose Unified School District: Substantially larger California K-12 district operating under the same LCFF funding model with broader scope; relevant for benchmarking scale and governance comparisons rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sequhsd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sequoia-union-high-school-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sequoia Union High School District