Stanbridge Academy History

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 in our 27th year, the curricular program has expanded and enrollment has grown.

The experiential program and multi-modal teaching approach that defines Stanbridge today continues to evolve and prove successful for its students. In 1998, Stanbridge received its first accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which it continues to maintain. The Stanbridge Academy campus, with a maximum capacity of 150 students, currently serves about 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 of its kind to serve students with multiple learning disabilities in the region.

Geographically, Stanbridge Academy 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 located convenient to the San Mateo Library, Martin Luther King Park and Community Center, the 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.

In 2006, Stanbridge welcomed Marilyn Lynch as Head of School. She brings with her over 30 years in the field of education, including experience as a teacher, principal, administrator and mentor to many in the Bay Area. 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.