Alameda County Office of Education history

Establishment of a centralized office of education began in 1904 at the insistence of Superintendent A.A. Bailey.

Establishment of a centralized office of education began in 1904 at the insistence of Superintendent A.A. Bailey. It wasn’t until 1932, when Superintendent B.O. Wilson took office that the County Department of Education (predecessor to the County Office of Education) was officially established.

The opening of the Caldecott Tunnel in 1937 launched a population boom in Contra Costa County, requiring the establishment of numerous additional schools.

In July 1953, the Oakland Board of Education organized Oakland Junior College and developed what are now the Laney and Merritt Colleges as separate campuses of this new institution.

In September 1954, the Merritt School of Business instituted a liberal arts division in addition to its business division, and the following year students were able to earn an associate in arts degree.

In 1956, the California Legislature created an elected seven-member board comprised of members of the public rather than professional teachers, allowing for more streamlined communication between the public and educational community.

In July 1, 1964, the Peralta Community College District was officially formed.

Contra Costa County Board of Education, A Century of Public Education, written by Fontaine Weitzel and published by the Contra Costa County Office of Education, 1966

In June 1970, the College of Alameda opened on a 2.5 acre site near the Naval Air Station in the city of Alameda.

In 1974, the Peralta College for Nontraditional Study was established.

County Office of Education, A Historical Perspective, Trustee Alice Johnson, 1978

In 1981, the County Office of Education split from its affiliation with the County and became the independent agency we’re familiar with today.

In 1984, a new building was constructed adjacent to the Valley School in Alamo; the facility was renamed the Lucille Glass Mauzy Special Center.

In May of 1985, the Marchus School opened in Concord.

In 1996, Alameda County voters approved a capital bond measure to construct a permanent campus site in northern Alameda County.

In 2006, Vista Community College opened its new permanent campus in Berkeley and was renamed Berkeley City College.

The California Secretary of State and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction are partnering to host the 2020 California Student Mock Election on Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

January 20 – February 4, 2021 – School Contests February 15 – County HD Registration: Students (includes URL for websites February 17 – Website portal closed; Papers submitted; Documentaries uploaded.