Design Tech High School: Parent Guide to a Design-Thinking Public Charter School

Design Tech High School, commonly known as d.tech, is a tuition-free public charter high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Redwood City, California ¹². Founded in 2014 and authorized by the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD), the school operates from a custom-built facility on the Oracle Corporation campus, where it has been located since January 2018 ¹³. Oracle's Education Foundation funded and constructed the approximately $43 million building and leases it to the school for $1 per year, making it one of the few U.S. public charter schools housed on a corporate campus ¹³⁴.

The school's non-traditional model centers on design thinking, a problem-solving framework adapted from the Stanford d.school's K-12 Lab, combined with personalized competency-based learning, flexible weekly scheduling, and a maker-space fabrication lab called the Design Realization Garage ⁵⁶⁷. With an enrollment of approximately 550 to 567 students, d.tech caps its capacity at 550 and admits students through a public lottery system governed by California education code ¹²⁸.

Snapshot facts

Field	Detail
Official name	Design Tech High School 2
Operating status	Active; charter number 1647, directly funded 2
Founded	2014 (opened August 1, 2014) 2
Founders	Dr. Ken Montgomery and Nicole Cerra (per school leadership page and Wikipedia infobox); Wikipedia body also names four educators and four community members in the founding group (disputed) 19
Current leadership	Executive Director Dr. Ken Montgomery; Director of Innovation Nicole Cerra; Principal Dr. Margarita Contreras; Assistant Principal Dr. Marbella Alfonzo; Director of Operations/CBO Hanan Holloway; Director of Development Jacky Schlegel; Director of Admissions Ashley Wong 9
Primary location	275 Oracle Pkwy, Redwood City, CA 94065 2
Grades served	9-12 2
Public/charter/private status	Public charter school, directly funded, authorized by SMUHSD 210
Tuition or funding model	Tuition-free; approximately 80% state funding via LCFF, supplemented by parent/community fund, grants, and Oracle Education Foundation 8
Admissions model	Public lottery with residency and sibling preferences 811
Educational model	Design thinking, competency-based progression, flex schedule, maker lab, intersession 56712
Evidence confidence	Mixed: CDE public data plus school-reported program information 21314

What it is

Design Tech High School is a single-site, self-operated public charter school incorporated as Design Tech High School, Inc., a California 501(c)(3) public-benefit nonprofit (EIN 46-3705620) ¹⁹. No external charter management organization operates the school ⁹. SMUHSD unanimously approved the charter petition in November 2013, and the school opened for the 2014-2015 academic year with a freshman class of approximately 142 students, initially housed in a hallway at Mills High School in Millbrae ¹⁷. The school later moved to a former auto body shop in Burlingame before relocating to its permanent Oracle campus home in January 2018 ¹⁴.

The school's stated mission is to develop students who believe the world can be a better place and that they can help make it happen ¹⁵.

Educational model

d.tech's educational model integrates three core components: design thinking, personalized competency-based academic learning, and maker-space fabrication ⁵⁷¹².

The design thinking program follows a four-year progression. All ninth-grade students take a Foundations in Design Thinking course, practicing need-finding, rapid prototyping, and iteration through teacher-directed challenges ⁵. In subsequent years, students take a Co-Designers class focused on durable skills like collaboration and critical thinking, working on real design projects with industry partners ⁵. Upper-grade students can pursue an Innovation Diploma, a year-long design lab course requiring students to identify a social impact challenge, present work in three design reviews, and defend their learning in an oral examination ⁵¹⁶. Design Pathways courses offer deeper study in disciplines such as product design, graphic design, game design, and fashion design ⁵.

Academic instruction uses a competency-based approach: students work through standards-based curricula at their own pace, demonstrating mastery through performance tasks before advancing ⁶⁷¹². Teachers create new schedules each week based on assessment data, selecting among group work, individual tutoring, direct instruction, and performance tasks ⁶¹². Students who fall behind can be assigned to teacher referral periods until they achieve competency ⁶.

Student experience

The school day runs from approximately 8:45 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. with no school bells; student-chosen music signals transitions ⁶. Daily advisory periods of about 30 minutes connect approximately 18 students with an advisor for personal and academic support, including college awareness beginning in the upper grades ¹⁷¹⁸. Each afternoon includes FLEX time, when students can seek additional help from teachers or engage in independent work ⁶.

Three times per year, the regular schedule pauses for two-week Intersession periods, during which students take Exploration courses ranging from lifeguard training and mural painting to coding at Oracle and musical theater ¹⁹. Juniors and seniors may complete unpaid internships during Intersession, applying design thinking skills in real-world settings ¹⁹²⁰. The school offers more than 50 student-directed clubs and activities, competitive athletics with varsity and junior varsity teams, and a 1:1 Chromebook program ⁶¹⁶.

The Design Realization Garage (DRG), an 8,000-square-foot two-story fabrication lab, is a central feature of campus life ²¹³. All ninth-grade students receive a year-long introduction to the DRG, learning maker skills and rapid prototyping using laser cutters, 3D printers, soldering stations, woodworking tools, and design software ²¹.

Curriculum, assessment, and progression

d.tech's graduation requirements meet or exceed University of California A-G standards ¹⁶²². The school does not offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses; instead, students seeking greater rigor may take Honors-level classes in English 2-4, Chemistry, Biology, Advanced Physics, Advanced Environmental Science, Calculus, and Advanced Statistics ²²¹⁶. Juniors and seniors may be eligible for concurrent enrollment at local community colleges ²²¹⁶.

Assessment uses a competency-based evaluation system, with multiple opportunities for students to check comprehension and revise work before completing letter-graded performance tasks and unit exams ⁶. Students build design portfolios to document their growth as designers ¹².

Public, charter, private, nonprofit, program, network, or platform status

Design Tech High School is a tuition-free, directly funded public charter school authorized by SMUHSD ²¹⁰. It is self-operated by Design Tech High School, Inc., a California 501(c)(3) public-benefit nonprofit with no external charter management organization ⁹. The school receives approximately 80% of its funding from the state through the Local Control Funding Formula, based on student daily attendance ⁸. Additional funding comes from the parent- and community-supported Koi Pond Annual Fund, special grants, employee matching programs, and the Oracle Education Foundation, which funds the intersession program and student shuttle ⁸.

Locations and availability

The school's active campus is located at 275 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, on the Oracle Corporation campus ². The school has no virtual or online program offering ².

A second campus, Design Tech High School at Rancho Cordova, was planned to open for the 2023-2024 school year per a charter petition submitted to the Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) in 2022 ¹²³. FCUSD staff reviewed the petition and recommended denial, citing concerns about unidentified facilities, the petition's comprehensiveness, and the school's likelihood of successfully implementing the program ²³. Wikipedia reports that the Rancho Cordova campus "has closed as of May 1" without specifying the year, and the campus is not listed on the school's own website ¹. The status and timeline of this second campus remain disputed across available sources.

Tuition, admissions, and eligibility

d.tech is tuition-free ⁸. Admission is by public lottery, held annually in February, with enrollment capped at 550 students ⁸¹¹. Lottery priorities, per California Education Code section 47605(d), are: (1) children of d.tech employees, (2) children of founding team members, (3) siblings of current or graduated d.tech students (up to 10), (4) residents of the Sequoia Union and San Mateo Union High School Districts, with a 2:1 preference for students eligible for federal free or reduced-price lunch programs, and (5) all other California residents ¹¹. Students residing outside the two priority districts are placed on a separate waitlist ¹¹. All prospective students, including siblings, must register for the lottery ¹¹. The waitlist does not carry over from year to year ¹¹. Prospective families must be current California residents ¹¹.

Credits, transcripts, diplomas, certifications, and accreditation

• Design Tech High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) ¹¹⁶.
• The school's graduation requirements meet or exceed UC A-G standards ²²¹⁶.
• Students who complete the Innovation Diploma program earn an additional credential validating their creative thinking skills ⁵.
• The school uses the SCOIR platform for college application document management ²⁴.
• Students receive standard California high school diplomas upon graduation.

Evidence and outcomes

California Department of Education data shows an enrollment of 563 students for the 2025-26 school year, with 7 English language learners (1.2%) ¹³. The school's four-year graduation rate is reported at 95% or above by third-party data aggregators drawing on public records ¹⁴. On the 2024 CAASPP assessments, d.tech students scored 64.6% math proficiency and 83.3% reading/ELA proficiency, both above state averages of approximately 31.8% and 51.5% respectively ¹⁴.

University of California admissions data shows that in Fall 2025, 94 d.tech applicants produced 76 admits, for a UC-wide admit rate of 80.8% ²⁵. Over the prior decade, admit rates ranged from 57.0% (2021) to 80.8% (2025) ²⁵.

The school reports that its campus building won the Green Building Award from Sustainable San Mateo County and Best Education Project from the Silicon Valley Business Journal and PCBS as part of the 2018 Gold Nugget Awards, and was built to LEED Gold specifications ¹.

Best fit

d.tech may be a strong fit for students who thrive with autonomy and self-direction, are interested in design thinking and maker culture, and prefer competency-based progression over traditional grade-level pacing. The school's small size, advisory system, and corporate-campus setting provide a distinctive environment. Families seeking AP courses, a traditional bell schedule, or a conventional comprehensive high school experience may find the model less suitable. The lottery-based admissions process and residency preferences mean that out-of-district applicants face longer odds, and all applicants must be California residents ¹¹.

Questions parents should ask

• How does the absence of AP courses affect my student's competitiveness for selective college admissions, and what concurrent enrollment and honors options are available?
• What does the weekly flex schedule look like in practice, and how is student self-direction monitored and supported?
• What is the current status of the planned Rancho Cordova campus, and does the school plan to expand beyond its Redwood City location?
• How does the competency-based assessment system translate to traditional transcripts that colleges will review?
• What transportation options are available to and from the Oracle campus, and is the student shuttle still operational?

Sources

[1] "Design Tech High School," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_Tech_High_School, accessed July 22, 2026. [2] "Design Tech High - School Directory Details," California Department of Education, https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=41690470129759, accessed July 22, 2026. [3] "Now on Oracle's Campus, a $43 Million Public High School," New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/03/technology/now-on-oracles-campus-a-43-million-public-high-school.html, accessed July 22, 2026. [4] "New public school opens in unusual place - Oracle's campus in Redwood City," San Francisco Chronicle, https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/New-public-school-opens-in-unusual-place-12485746.php, accessed July 22, 2026. [5] "Design Thinking," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/design-thinking, accessed July 22, 2026. [6] "Programs," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/programs, accessed July 22, 2026. [7] "DESIGN TECH HIGH SCHOOL," Next Generation Learning Challenges, https://nglc.s3.amazonaws.com/resource-files/ngp1510-pdf.pdf, accessed July 22, 2026. [8] "FAQ's," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/faqs, accessed July 22, 2026. [9] "Leadership Team," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/leadership-team, accessed July 22, 2026. [10] "Design Tech," San Mateo Union High School District, https://www.smuhsd.org/community/design-tech, accessed July 22, 2026. [11] "Discover & Enroll Today," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/enroll, accessed July 22, 2026. [12] "A school where students, teachers remix their schedules every week," Hechinger Report, https://hechingerreport.org/school-students-teachers-remix-schedules-every-week/, accessed July 22, 2026. [13] "School Profile: Design Tech High," California Department of Education, https://www.cde.ca.gov/sdprofile/details.aspx?cds=41690470129759, accessed July 22, 2026. [14] "Design Tech High (9.2/10)," MySchoolScout, https://myschoolscout.com/schools/ca/design-tech-high-060232413774/, accessed July 22, 2026. [15] "Mission & Vision," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/mission-vision, accessed July 22, 2026. [16] "Programs," Design Tech High School (dtechsvgives), https://www.dtechsvgives.org/programs, accessed July 22, 2026. [17] "Radical Personalization + Knowledge in Action at d.Tech High," Getting Smart, https://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/12/06/radical-personalization-knowledge-in-action-at-d-tech-high/, accessed July 22, 2026. [18] "Building Transferable Skills: Design Tech High at Oracle Campus," Getting Smart, https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/building-transferable-skills-design-tech-high-at-oracle-campus/, accessed July 22, 2026. [19] "Intersession," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/intersession, accessed July 22, 2026. [20] "Partners," Oracle Education Foundation, https://www.oraclefoundation.org/partners.html, accessed July 22, 2026. [21] "Design Realization Garage," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/design-realization-garage, accessed July 22, 2026. [22] "Graduation," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/graduation, accessed July 22, 2026. [23] FCUSD Board Meeting Attachment, Folsom Cordova Unified School District, https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?AID=288875&MID=12003&S=36030240, accessed July 22, 2026. [24] "Beyond d.tech," Design Tech High School, https://www.designtechhighschool.org/beyond-dtech, accessed July 22, 2026. [25] "Design Tech High School UC Acceptance Rate & Admissions Trends," College Acceptance, https://collegeacceptance.info/school/54814-design-tech-high-school, accessed July 22, 2026.