San Mateo High School

San Mateo High School is a National Blue Ribbon comprehensive four-year public high school in San Mateo, California, United States. It serves grades 9–12 and is one of the seven San Mateo Union High School District public high schools. History In its first year, San Mateo High School was located in the Dixon Cottage on Ellsworth Avenue with an enrollment of just 14 students. The faculty was composed of A.G. Van Gorder, principal, and teacher; and Marie Borough and Florence Kimball, two assistant teachers. The school was opened on September 15, 1902, at 8:30 am, in the two-story Dixon Cottage at 54 North Ellsworth Street. Its courses included foreign languages, the arts, history, and varied courses in science and mathematics. In the beginning, only two years were required for graduation, but many students continued the full four years with intention of going to college. Textbooks were well preserved, as the students had to buy their own. Reimbursement could usually be had by selling the used books to the incoming freshmen. Princeton University, with the colors orange and black, was "King of Sports" in 1902. Following suit, San Mateo High chose orange and black as its colors, and set its own words to the music of Princeton's school song. Early in 1903, the high school on Ellsworth Street became too small to accommodate the increased enrollment, which was then 27. Following a bond election, the Board of Education appropriated $24,000 for the purchase of Brewer Tract, which housed Saint Margaret's School for Girls. This was a three-story structure situated on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and San Mateo Drive. During the summer, in addition to remodeling and refurnishing the building, a new chemistry laboratory was constructed and supplied at a cost of $270. SMHS also gained a set of reference books at $75 and three Remington typewriters at $70 each. Classes were conducted in this building from 1903 until 1911.