What Pacifica School District does

Pacifica School District is a public K-8 school district headquartered at 411 Oceana Blvd, Pacifica, California, serving approximately 2,700 students across five elementary schools and one middle school (Cabrillo Elementary, Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School, Ocean Shore Elementary, Ortega Elementary, Sunset Ridge Elementary, Vallemar Elementary) plus an Independent Study homeschool program. Founded in 1952 and operating under oversight of the California Department of Education and San Mateo County Office of Education, the district delivers Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade public education with no tuition charged to families.

The district's technology ecosystem is built on integrated third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems: Synergy Student Information System (Edupoint) manages records, grades, attendance, and online registration; Clever provides single sign-on to educational applications; ParentVUE/StudentVUE deliver family-facing portals; Jupiter Grades serves middle school reporting; i-Ready provides diagnostic assessments; Follett Destiny manages libraries; StopIt enables anonymous safety reporting; and Frontline Education and InformedK12 handle HR and administrative workflows. A native mobile app launched in February 2026 extends the communication surface. The Finalsite-powered website serves as the central hub. Compliance frameworks include FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, SOPIPA, and California AB 1584.

The district's funding model relies on California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), voter-approved parcel taxes (Measures D, EE, L generating ~$1.1-1.2M annually), general obligation bonds (Measure O, Measure G $70M approved March 2024), federal and state grants, and USDA-funded child nutrition. Go-to-market is direct-to-family enrollment via school sites with lottery-based admission for oversubscribed grades. The district is currently under SMCOE fiscal oversight following a 2026 'Lack of Going Concern' determination due to deficit spending, declining enrollment, and unbudgeted costs in Special Education and vacant positions.

Name

Pacifica School District

Legal name

Pacifica School District

Website

https://pacificasd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pacifica School District is a public K-8 school district in Pacifica, California, serving approximately 2,700 students across six schools plus an independent study program, funded through California's LCFF, parcel taxes, and voter-approved bonds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public K-8 education
• Elementary education services
• Special education programs
• Child nutrition services
• Independent study programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pacifica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF): California's primary funding system allowing districts to direct resources to meet needs of low-income students, English learners, and foster youth
2. Parcel Tax Revenue: Local voter-approved parcel taxes including Measure D ($118/parcel annually), Measure EE ($98/parcel with annual adjustments), and Measure L. Generates approximately $1.1-1.2 million annually
3. Bond Measures: Voter-approved general obligation bonds for facilities. Measure O for technology and infrastructure upgrades. Measure G ($70 million bond for school repairs and workforce housing) approved March 2024
4. Federal and State Grants: Federal funding including $2 million Community Project Funding from Congressman Sam Liccardo for workforce housing. Education Protection Account funds from Prop 30
5. Child Nutrition Services: USDA-funded meal program providing free breakfast and lunch to all students under California Universal Meal Program

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Pacifica School District is a public K-8 school district that provides free educational services to students in Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade across six schools in Pacifica, California. Its offerings include core academic instruction, special education services for students with IEPs, English learner programs, free breakfast and lunch through the California Universal Meal Program, and a credentialed-teacher-supported independent study homeschool program. The district is supported by Synergy Student Information System, Clever single sign-on portal, Google Workspace for Education, and a native PSD Mobile App launched in February 2026.

Product overview

Pacifica School District is a public K-8 school district serving approximately 2,700 students across six schools along California's Pacific coast. The district's technology portfolio is built around a centralized communication and learning platform anchored by its Finalsite-powered website and the Clever single sign-on education portal. Student information and academic management flows through the Synergy SIS (Edupoint) system, which provides online enrollment, grade reporting via ParentVUE/StudentVUE, and middle school grade access through Jupiter Grades. The district's product ecosystem includes specialized tools for library management (Follett Destiny), personalized learning assessment (i-Ready), and safety reporting (StopIt). Administrative operations are supported by InformedK12 for forms/workflow automation, Frontline Education for HR/absence management, and DataZone for analytics. The district launched its first mobile app in February 2026. All district technology operates as a collection of third-party integrated platforms rather than a unified proprietary product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TK-8 Public Education Programs Free public K-8 academic instruction delivered across six district-operated schools (five elementary and one middle school) to students residing within Pacifica School District boundaries. Encompasses core academic subjects, social-emotional learning through PBIS, library services, and enrichment programs including band.
• Special Education Services Specialized instruction and support services for students with IEPs, Section 504 accommodations, and early intervention needs, delivered through Student Success Teams and coordinated with the San Mateo County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA).
• English Learner Programs English language development instruction and multilingual family engagement services for English Learner students, supported by the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) and Synergy Mail's automatic language translation for parent-teacher communication.
• PSD Independent Study (Homeschool) Program Full-time home-based K-8 independent study educational program in which families design individualized learning plans supported by credentialed district teachers who provide lesson planning assistance, testing support, and access to district educational materials, with newsletters, field trips, and special projects for enrolled families.
• Child Nutrition Services USDA-funded meal program providing free breakfast and lunch to all students under age 18 through the California Universal Meal Program, operated across six student cafeterias and supported by the NutriSlice online menu platform.
• PSD Mobile App District mobile application for iOS and Android devices that provides lunch menus, emergency alerts, district news, school information, and event updates to families and staff. Searchable as 'Pacifica School District' in app stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sunset Ridge and Ocean Shore schools received PBIS Gold Award recognition for outstanding implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brookwood AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Strategic advisor engaged by Pacifica School District since 2017 to help repurpose the former Oddstad Elementary campus for workforce housing. Provided expert analysis and community engagement support for the 70-residence housing project.
• San Mateo County Schools Insurance GroupminorOthersInsurance group providing coverage for district facilities and special events. Contact information provided for special events insurance coverage requirements.
• San Mateo County SELPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Mateo County Special Education Local Plan Area partnership for special education services. District participates in county-wide coordination for IEP services, assessments, and program support for students with disabilities.
• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationSingle sign-on portal provider enabling students to access educational applications including Google Classroom, Destiny Library, and other learning tools through district Clever portal.
• Edupoint (Synergy)coreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System provider for Synergy platform managing student records, grades, attendance, and online enrollment. ParentVUE and StudentVUE applications provided for family and student access.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jefferson Union High School District: Adjacent San Mateo County district feeding Pacifica's middle school graduates into high school; shares the same LCFF funding structure, parcel-tax dependency, and Bay Area workforce housing challenges, making it the most directly comparable operating peer.
• Cabrillo Unified School District: Coastal San Mateo County K-12 district serving Half Moon Bay area with similar small-district scale, agricultural/coastal community profile, and low LCFF base — directly comparable on funding and enrollment dynamics.
• Las Lomitas Elementary School District: Small K-3 (and now K-8) district in San Mateo County operating under similar California parcel tax and bond structures, with comparable parent-engagement-driven operating model.
• Millbrae School District: Small TK-8 district in northern San Mateo County with overlapping demographics, similar Synergy/Clever technology stack usage, and shared Bay Area workforce affordability challenges.
• Burlingame School District: Nearby TK-8 district operating under the same California LCFF framework with parcel tax supplements and a similar coastal Bay Area housing-cost pressure on teacher recruitment.
• Redwood City School District: K-8 district in San Mateo County with similar enrollment scale (~2,000-3,000 students), significant English Learner population, and reliance on parcel taxes — comparable on demographic and funding profile.
• San Mateo-Foster City School District: Neighboring San Mateo County TK-8 district with comparable student demographics, parcel tax structure, and unionized workforce — a direct peer for benchmarking funding, technology adoption, and special education delivery.
• Hillsborough City School District: Small, high-performing K-8 district in San Mateo County; comparable size, parent-engagement culture, and PBIS-style behavioral programs, though with a higher property-tax base.

Regional players

• South San Francisco Unified School District: Larger K-12 district just north of Pacifica in San Mateo County; comparable urban-coastal community profile and LCFF structure, but serves as a broader incumbent rather than direct small-district peer.

Others

• San Mateo County Office of Education: The county-level oversight body currently imposing the Fiscal Stabilization Plan on Pacifica; not a competitor but the key administrative counterparty whose actions shape Pacifica's regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/psd_k8
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtXNpW6fjEfEDU0ccYLe3lA
• Facebookfacebook.com/PacificaSchoolDistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacifica-school-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacificaschools

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Pacifica School District