Stanbridge Academy

Stanbridge is a caring, inclusive K–12 school in San Mateo for students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders. Stanbridge Academy was founded in 1982 by Andi Jobe, a mother of children with learning differences. Since then Stanbridge has welcomed students with mild-to-moderate learning differences who were not experiencing success in traditional school settings. Now after more than 35 years, the curricular program has expanded and enrollment has grown.

The experiential program and multi-modal teaching approach that defines Stanbridge today continues to evolve while students thrive and develop their academic, social, executive function, and emotional capabilities to their fullest potential. In 1998, Stanbridge received its first accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which it continues to maintain. Stanbridge currently serves approximately 100 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Students from all over the Bay Area commute to Stanbridge because it is the only K-12 school in the region to serve students with multiple learning disabilities.

Stanbridge has relocated several times to various campuses on the Peninsula, including the old Mountain View High School, Our Lady of the Rosary School in Palo Alto, and the facilities of what previously had been Palmer Chiropractic College in Santa Clara. In 1999, the school moved to its current location at 515 East Poplar Avenue in San Mateo.

Our campus is conveniently located near the San Mateo Library, Martin Luther King Park and Community Center, the San Mateo Caltrain depot, and many other valuable community resources. Over the past ten years, neighboring properties were purchased for future expansion and improvement to our campus.

Many, if not most, of our students struggle with multiple challenges, including students diagnosed on the autism spectrum. We have found that a balance of challenges encourages students to benefit from their classmates' strengths and to respect their differences. With a diverse staff that is fully committed to the ideals and principles that the school was founded upon, Stanbridge Academy maintains its place as a truly unique educational environment where students continue to build bridges to life and learning.