SJCOE History

When S.A. Hurlburt became San Joaquin County’s first superintendent of schools, he oversaw education in a county with three school districts and a total of 256 students. It was 1853, the year after the state Legislature created offices of education in each of the state’s original 27 counties. Today, there are more than 153,000 students enrolled in 14 school districts in the county. San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Troy A. Brown is the 27th person to hold that office in the San Joaquin County Office of Education's (SJCOE) 168-year history.

The SJCOE and its divisions fulfill state mandates to oversee district finances, register teacher credentials, certify school attendance records, and develop countywide programs to serve special student populations. The SJCOE also provides leadership, resources, and services to help school districts teach their students.

Supporting districts includes performing tasks that can be done more efficiently and economically at the county level. The Business Services Division maintains technological infrastructure and provides financial services for much of the county. The County Operated Schools and Programs Division educates students in the county who are most at risk and operates three charter schools. The SELPA department coordinates programs and services for over 12,000 students with special needs in the San Joaquin County SELPA, and the Special Education Programs department serves more than 990 students in SJCOE programs.

The SJCOE and its departments support education in many other ways, too, from helping districts develop their Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to assisting human resources departments with training and teacher credentials.

A lot has changed in education in San Joaquin County over the past 168 years. There will be more changes as schools continue to incorporate new standards that will prepare them for college and 21st-century careers. And the SJCOE will be part of that change, moving education forward.