Burlingame High School - History

History

In order to meet the growing student population, the school was opened in December 1923 under the name "San Mateo High School, Burlingame Branch." The school took in students from Burlingame, Hillsborough, Millbrae, and San Bruno. Initial enrollment consisted of 350 students and 30 teachers. As a branch of San Mateo High School, extracurricular organizations were shared between the schools. There was a single band, football team, and other athletic teams with student members from both schools. Within 10 years the enrollment of the school increased to 494 boys and 474 girls, totalling 968 pupils, a figure close to the school's original design capacity. In 1927 the school name was officially changed to Burlingame High School.

In the summer of 1980, the SMUHSD board decided it must close one of the district's seven schools, due to declining enrollment. Following public hearings, the board narrowed the choice to either Crestmoor High School or Burlingame High School. After study and discussion, the board decided to close Crestmoor in the fall of 1980 and keep Burlingame open.

The school's rivalry with San Mateo High culminates annually in a football matchup dubbed "The Little Big Game" patterned after the Big Game. San Mateo High School has been a rival of Burlingame since the division of the Burlingame branch. In 2009, Burlingame lost the Paw to San Mateo High School, ending a 5-year winning streak tracing back to 2004. Burlingame came back in 2010 to win back "The Paw", as well as in 2011. Burlingame leads the series record 48-32, with 4 ties.