Jefferson Union High, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Union High

Jefferson Union High School District serves a medium-sized high school population across five campuses in San Mateo County, spanning communities from Daly City and South San Francisco through Pacifica and Hillsborough. The district enrolls students across grades nine through twelve, with a student body that is roughly balanced between Asian and Hispanic students, and substantial White enrollment, reflecting the Bay Area's demographic composition.

Recent state assessment data shows English language arts proficiency at just above the midpoint among typical high school cohorts, while mathematics and science proficiency sit notably lower. A parent weighing this district should understand that these results reflect broader challenges in secondary mathematics and science instruction across California, though they warrant direct conversation with individual schools and the district about remediation pathways, tutoring, and support structures. The district does not publicly report a four-year graduation rate in the available data, so a prospective parent would want to request that figure directly.

The district's chronic absenteeism rate sits below the midpoint among San Mateo County's districts, which suggests relatively stable daily attendance compared to peer districts in the county. Per-pupil current spending falls in the upper-middle range for the county, indicating a reasonably well-resourced instructional environment.

The housing market across the district's footprint reflects the wider San Francisco Bay Area's high cost of living, with home values substantially above state and national medians. Rental costs are rising and remain steep relative to regional income. This economic context shapes both family composition and the pressures families face. The district itself has taken direct action on teacher and staff retention by opening Serramonte, an employer-built below-market housing community exclusively for district employees, which opened in 2022 and now houses roughly a quarter of the payroll. This reduces staff turnover and supports classroom stability, a tangible outcome families care about.

Voters approved Measure Z, a general obligation bond, in 2020 authorizing modernizations across the five high schools including technology upgrades, ventilation, science labs, and career-technical classrooms. Bond proceeds have been issued in series and are funding these campus improvements. This signals ongoing facilities investment and is relevant to parents considering which campus their student might attend.

The district introduced ethnic studies into its curriculum in partnership with Community Responsive Education, developing coursework to meet California's ethnic studies graduation requirement taking effect in 2030. This is a curriculum change at the district level that shapes the social studies pathway for all students.

The five schools are Thornton, Jefferson, Oceana, Terra Nova, and Westmoor, each serving different communities within the district's footprint. A parent choosing among them would want to research individual school profiles, program emphases, and peer composition, as the district profile captures trends across all five but does not distinguish their separate characters or academic strengths.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,706

Grades

09–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 35%

Black 1%

White 16%

Asian 40%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

44%

—

Gr 11

44%

—

Math

Gr ALL

21%

—

Gr 11

21%

—

Science

Gr ALL

25%

—

Gr 11

16%

—

Gr 12

35%

—

Gr HS

24%

—

Gr UG_SEC

24%

—

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$1.21M

Year-over-year change-1.3%

Range across 11 ZIP codes$1.0M to $3.5M

vs. state typical1.56x

vs. national typical3.28x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (11 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
94044	Pacifica	$1.3M	-1.9%	46.1%
94014	Daly City	$1.0M	-1.5%	20.6%
94015	Daly City	$1.2M	-0.1%	15.3%
94005	Brisbane	$1.2M	-1.2%	13.7%
94066	San Bruno	$1.3M	+0.1%	1.8%
94080	South San Francisco	$1.2M	+1.1%	1.6%
94010	Hillsborough	$3.5M	+5.9%	0.6%
94037	Moss Beach	$1.5M	+0.5%	0.1%
94134	San Francisco	$1.1M	+1.7%	0.0%
94112	San Francisco	$1.1M	+2.9%	0.0%
94132	San Francisco	$1.4M	+5.0%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,364/mo

Year-over-year change+6.3%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$2,654 to $4,013/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
94044	Pacifica	$3,597	+6.0%	46.1%
94014	Daly City	$3,339	+6.7%	20.6%
94015	Daly City	$2,654	+6.8%	15.3%
94066	San Bruno	$3,234	+5.3%	1.8%
94080	South San Francisco	$3,877	+6.0%	1.6%
94010	Hillsborough	$3,505	+3.3%	0.6%
94134	San Francisco	$4,013	—	0.0%
94112	San Francisco	$3,506	+4.9%	0.0%
94132	San Francisco	$3,597	—	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$6,092/mo

Home price / national median income14.4x

Annual rent / national median income48.2%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$2,728/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Academic Performance
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.