Hillcrest at Youth Services Center

Hillcrest at Youth Services Center, a minimally staffed four-year high school in San Mateo, California, part of San Mateo County Office of Education, works with 16 students, covering grades 5 through 12. That puts it 98% below the typical public school in California, which averages around 838 students.

San Mateo County Office of Education runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 79 students. Hillcrest at Youth Services Center is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Hillcrest at Youth Services Center lists that nearly all students (81%) are Hispanic. The remainder comes out to 13% Pacific Islander, 6% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 25% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 4.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 18.2:1, putting Hillcrest at Youth Services Center tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 81% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against San Mateo County (around 34%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Across the wider county, census data for San Mateo County shows median household earnings sit near $158,855, roughly 54% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, San Mateo County runs 176 public schools (combined enrollment of about 82,403 students), of which Hillcrest at Youth Services Center is one.

The closest other public school is Gateway Center, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Hillcrest at Youth Services Center.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 67%: 48 students in 2018 compared to 16 in 2025. Over the same period, the Black share shrank from 15% to 0%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 8.0:1 in 2018 to 4.2:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.