San Marino Unified School District

What San Marino Unified School District does

San Marino Unified School District (SMUSD) is a California public K-12 school district headquartered at 1665 West Dr., San Marino, CA 91108, operating four schools — Valentine Elementary, Carver Elementary, Huntington Middle School, and San Marino High School — serving more than 3,000 students with a 21:1 student-teacher ratio, a 97.6% graduation rate, and a 96.8% attendance rate. Students consistently score in the top 1% statewide on California assessments, and the district carries top-tier Niche 2023 rankings (#59 of 10,751 U.S. districts; #7 of 440 in California; #2 of 100 in the L.A. Area).

SMUSD's technology stack is anchored by Schoology as the primary Learning Management System and PowerSchool as the Student Information System, complemented by Google Workspace for Education (unlimited cloud storage), Microsoft Office for Education, ParentSquare for school-to-home communications, Blackboard mass notification, and a 200+ wireless access point network supporting 1:1 and BYOD device programs. The district has built an AI governance framework through a multi-stakeholder AI Task Force and adopted board policy BP 0441 in March 2026 to guide ethical use of generative AI tools in classrooms, with professional development delivered through the SMUSD TECH Academy.

As a governmental entity under the California Department of Education, SMUSD is funded by local property taxes, state apportionment based on Average Daily Attendance, parcel tax measures, developer fees (California Education Code Section 17620), and bond proceeds such as Measure M. The district charges no tuition to district residents, manages non-resident access through tiered interdistrict attendance permits, and operates a ClearGov Transparency Platform for public financial reporting. Leadership comprises Superintendent Dr. Linda de la Torre, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Dr. Stephen Choi, and Director of Technology Quoc Hoang, alongside facility, food services, and academic leadership across each school site.

Name

San Marino Unified School District

Legal name

San Marino Unified School District

Website

https://smusd.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

San Marino Unified School District is a California public K-12 school district serving more than 3,000 students across four schools in San Marino, funded through property taxes, state apportionment, parcel taxes, developer fees, and bond proceeds, with no tuition charged to district residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• School district services
• Student information systems
• Learning management systems
• Educational technology

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: District receives funding from local property taxes, California state apportionment based on Average Daily Attendance, and federal grants including Title I, Title II, and E-Rate program for telecommunications and network connectivity discounts. No tuition charged to district residents.
2. Developer Fees: Fees collected on new residential and commercial construction within district boundaries per California Education Code Section 17620. Currently $4.79 per square foot for residential and $0.78 per square foot for commercial/industrial development.
3. Parcel Tax Revenue: Local parcel tax measures approved by voters provide supplemental funding for district operations and programs.
4. Bond Program (Measure M): School bond measure providing capital funding for construction, renovation, and safety projects across district facilities. Board approves contracts for bond-funded projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

San Marino Unified School District provides tuition-free public K-12 education to over 3,000 students across four schools (Valentine Elementary, Carver Elementary, Huntington Middle School, and San Marino High School). Core offerings include standard academic curriculum, Mandarin Dual Language Immersion, Visual and Performing Arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities, supported by an integrated technology stack anchored by Schoology LMS, PowerSchool SIS, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office for Education.

Product overview

San Marino Unified School District operates as a unified K-12 public school district with four schools serving over 3,000 students. The district's technology portfolio centers on Schoology as its primary Learning Management System (LMS) and PowerSchool as its Student Information System (SIS), which form the core educational technology infrastructure. These are supplemented by Google Workspace for Education and Microsoft Office for Education for productivity, ParentSquare for school-to-home communications, and various operational systems including VoIP phone services, library management (Follett Destiny), food services (myschoolbucks), and financial systems (ASBWorks). The district has also established an AI Task Force to explore responsible AI integration in education, with board policy BP 0441 adopted in March 2026. Professional development is delivered through the SMUSD TECH Academy program, which provides hands-on training in educational technology and AI-enhanced teaching practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• San Marino Unified School District K-12 Education Tuition-free public K-12 education program serving over 3,000 students across San Marino High School, Huntington Middle School, Carver Elementary School, and Valentine Elementary School. Includes college preparatory curriculum with AP courses, career and technical education pathways, and comprehensive student support services.
• Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program Dual language immersion program teaching academic content in both English and Mandarin Chinese, available to district students as part of the educational pathway.
• Visual and Performing Arts Program Comprehensive arts education program spanning elementary through high school, including artist-in-residence programs, professional performances, student workshops, and field trips to the Music Center, supported by teacher professional development.
• SMUSD Athletic Programs More than 20 interscholastic athletic programs offered across the district's middle and high schools for student participation.
• Right At School Before and After School Care Before and after school childcare program operated in partnership with Right At School, providing extended care services for working families within the district.
• San Marino Summer Academy Summer academic and enrichment program offering educational opportunities for students during summer months, delivered in partnership with the district.
• Community Facility Use Permits Facility rental service allowing community groups and organizations to request use of school district facilities online through the Facilitron platform.
• Chinese School of San Marino Saturday Chinese heritage language school operated in partnership with SMUSD, providing heritage language education for students in the community.
• SMUSD Food Services District-operated food services providing daily school breakfast and lunch to students through on-site cafeterias, with online meal payment via myschoolbucks.
• Interdistrict Attendance Permits Application-based permit program allowing non-resident students to enroll in SMUSD, with priority tiers for parent employment-related transfers, grandparent legacy residency, and regular transfers for documented needs. Applications accepted annually starting May 1.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.6% graduation rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• POIETOminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025AI education partner for TECH Academy workshop series on Fostering Creative and Responsible Learning in Artificial Intelligence. Provides ethical AI education focusing on responsible classroom integration and AI Code of Ethics development.
• San Marino Schools FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation supporting SMUSD through fundraising for educational programs, including Visual and Performing Arts Professional Development Program. Raises funds to enhance classroom instruction and provide enrichment opportunities not covered by district budget.
• Huntington LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnique educational partnership providing students access to Huntington Library resources and cultural programming. Part of district's innovative programs that prepare students for success.
• Los Angeles Music CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Visual and Performing Arts professional development for elementary teachers. Includes artist-in-residence programs, professional performances, student workshops, and field trips to Music Center. Teachers receive training to integrate arts into core curriculum.
• Right At SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBefore and after school childcare program partner providing extended care services for working families within the district.
• San Marino Summer AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer academic and enrichment program partner providing educational opportunities for students during summer months.
• Chinese School of San MarinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaturday Chinese language school partner providing heritage language education for students in the community.
• LPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool architecture, design, and engineering firm working with Facilities Advisory Committee on comprehensive facilities master planning. Assessing condition of every classroom and developing 5-10 year strategic facilities plan.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beverly Hills Unified School District: Small, high-performing unified district in an affluent L.A. area enclave with strong property tax base. Directly comparable in scale, demographics, and academic outcomes.
• South Pasadena Unified School District: Small, high-performing unified K-12 district in the San Gabriel Valley with strong academic outcomes and similar per-pupil funding dynamics. Competes with SMUSD for interdistrict transfer students.
• Arcadia Unified School District: Adjacent L.A. County unified K-12 district serving a high-achieving, demographically similar community. Comparable size, AARC rankings, and academic outcomes; a natural comparison for SMUSD.
• La Cañada Unified School District: High-performing K-12 public district in an affluent L.A. County suburb, frequently compared with SMUSD in regional rankings. Similar student demographic, top academic performance, and reliance on property tax and parcel tax revenue.
• Palo Alto Unified School District: Top-ranked California K-12 district with similarly affluent tax base and high Niche rankings. Comparable model of academic excellence, foundation fundraising, and technology-forward instruction.
• Manhattan Beach Unified School District: High-achieving coastal L.A. County K-12 district consistently ranked among California's best. Comparable in size, parental engagement, and academic outcomes.
• Walnut Valley Unified School District: Top-ranked San Gabriel Valley K-12 district known for API performance and Mandarin/Chinese language programs. Direct competitor for dual-language immersion families.

Broad incumbents

• Glendale Unified School District: Larger L.A. County K-12 district with broad academic and dual-language programs. Comparable in being a California unified district, but with materially larger scale and different demographics.
• Irvine Unified School District: Larger California K-12 district consistently top-ranked statewide, with a comprehensive EdTech portfolio and Mandarin immersion offerings. Useful benchmark for SMUSD's technology and program strategy.
• Pasadena Unified School District: Larger, more demographically diverse neighboring L.A. County district. Provides comparison point for governance, funding, and program structure differences versus smaller unified districts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sanmarinousd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCphuFXnJDSPcgmvmVia69dw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SanMarinoUnifiedSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanmarinounified
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-marino-unified-school-district

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about San Marino Unified School District