Highlands Families Must Verify School Assignment by Address; District Explains 2026–27 Overflow Rules

SAN MATEO HIGHLANDS, San Mateo County — The San Mateo–Foster City School District’s 2026–27 registration guidance explains why living near Highlands Elementary does not automatically guarantee an available place in a particular classroom.

Students residing within a school’s attendance boundary receive priority during the designated new-student registration period. If the assigned school has reached capacity by the time a family registers, the enrollment office can place a child temporarily at another school with available space. The district says such students generally return to their neighborhood assignment the following year or can request a transfer to remain at the overflow campus.

The district requires families to establish actual residency within its boundaries; ownership of real estate without living at the address does not itself establish district residency. Rules for returning students, interdistrict transfers and special situations can differ.

What residents should know

Families should use the official school locator and enrollment portal rather than rely on real-estate listings or an approximate neighborhood map. The district also publishes information about required documents and school information meetings in English and Spanish.

Official source: Public agency or school record.

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