Burlingame High School picked up a regional honor on Tuesday, July 28, earning a Gold designation in Bay Area Parent magazine's 2026 Best of the Best reader poll for public and charter high schools.
The results place BHS at the top of the Peninsula category. The recognition highlights the school's focus on social-emotional growth and critical thinking, according to Patch.
The award is not an academic ranking or state assessment score. Bay Area Parent's Best of the Best program is a reader-driven vote, meaning Bay Area parents themselves selected BHS from among public and charter high schools across the region. The magazine, which has published since 1983, awards Gold, Silver, and Bronze honors across four Bay Area regions: East Bay, Peninsula, San Francisco/Marin, and Silicon Valley.
The school did not hold the Peninsula Gold designation in 2025, making this year's recognition a first for BHS in recent editions of the poll.
Franklin Elementary also earns Gold
Burlingame High was not the only local school recognized. In the parallel 2026 Best Public or Charter Elementary School category, Franklin Elementary School in Burlingame also earned Peninsula Gold, alongside Brewer Island Elementary in Foster City, according to Bay Area Parent's elementary poll results.
BHS enrolls about 1,583 students in grades 9 through 12 and is part of the San Mateo Union High School District, which serves about 8,775 students across eight schools. The school's principal is Lauren Kelly.
What the poll doesn't measure
Families should note that the Gold designation reflects parent sentiment, not standardized test performance or graduation rates. It signals that voting parents value BHS's approach to student development, but it is separate from the state's accountability metrics.
No comment from BHS administration on the recognition was available at publication time.
The full poll results are viewable at Bay Area Parent's website. Families with questions about BHS programs can reach the school at (650) 558-2899 or visit bhs.smuhsd.org.
