Logo Redesign

SMUHSD community participated in an inclusive, bilingual rebranding process to inform top design approved by the board

• Media Contact: Laura Chalkley, SMUHSD Director of Communications, 650-558-2202  
• View the SMUHSD Logo Guidelines.

 

SAN MATEO, CALIF. (July 8, 2024) — After decades of using a hand-drawn logo, the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) Board of Trustees adopted a new logo– a yellow and navy blue kaleidoscope-inspired design– in a public meeting on May 23, 2024. SMUHSD debuted the new logo after an extensive ten-month, multiphase process to ensure key community members had a voice in its design. 

Randall Booker, SMUHSD Superintendent, said: “Our new logo represents our 10 schools; the 6 cities in our District; and our one District. Visually, the kaleidoscope refers to the ever changing and endless possibilities for our students and other members of the SMUHSD community. It allows for the unique characteristics of our schools, students and educators while also recognizing our intersections and interdependability.”

Following a request for proposals and selection process, SMUHSD chose Voler Strategic Advisors (VSA) to lead the rebranding initiative. Together, SMUHSD and VSA gathered input from district students, parents, and educators through five focus groups, including one conducted exclusively in Spanish, and bilingual surveys from December 2023-January 2024.  

SMUHSD Board President Ligia Andrade Zúñiga, who attended each focus group, said: “I was inspired by the many educators, students and parents who were involved in this project through our focus groups. With this process, the District heard the voices of many to inform the development of a visual representation of our diverse District.”  

From February to March 2024 , the logo design process involved intense collaborative work about how the logo could reflect “our values of academic excellence and inclusivity, the interconnectedness of our schools, and our partnerships with local communities,” said Laura Chalkley, SMUHSD Director of Communications. 

In early April a diverse subcommittee reviewed logo design options supplied by VSA with the intention of making a recommendation for Superintendent Booker to share with the Board for their approval. The logo was approved at the May 23, 2024 Board Meeting. According to Student Board Representative Hiroki Maruyama, the design reminds him of “a cherry blossom flower, where the District can grow and blossom or flourish.”

Perla Rodriguez, CEO of Voler Strategic Advisors and leader of the logo rebranding initiative, commented: “The new logo aligns seamlessly with SMUHSD’s current values, mission, and equity principles. The yellow and navy blue colors reflect the bright hopefulness within the District as well as its classic, high quality education. I think the kaleidoscope represents an ever-changing organization that always strives to continuously provide better outcomes for students. I’m really proud of the result.”

As part of the rebranding process, the District will officially publish the new logo online on the District’s new website in July, and provide school leaders with logo guidelines.  Ultimately, SMUHSD looks forward to incorporating the modern logo as it pursues its mission of motivating students to achieve their full potential as responsible members of their diverse community.

About SMUHSD: The San Mateo Union High School District serves approximately 9,000 9th through 12th graders in the communities of Burlingame, Foster City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, San Bruno, and San Mateo in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Peninsula. We serve the teens of our community through six comprehensive high schools, an alternative high school, a middle college program, and a school for newcomers to the country. Additionally, we serve nearly 4,000 adult learners through San Mateo Adult & Career Education, and we serve young adults through our Special Education Transition Programs.