Every county in California has an office of education that provides technical assistance, curriculum and instructional support, staff development, legal and financial advice, and oversight to local school districts. In Sacramento County, that office is the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE). Among other things, SCOE runs several schools directly, including Juvenile Court schools, community schools for at-risk youth, and schools serving special needs students.  

For example, SCOE’s Leo Palmiter Jr/Sr High School in Arden Arcade provides services and program that meet the unique educational, behavioral, and mental health needs of grades 7-12 students. The students are referred directly from the local school districts that cannot provide highly-structured behavioral support programs. Palmiter students benefit from an educational program with a strong vocational/ transitional/school-to-world emphasis. The students also receive site counseling from the school social worker and site-based mental therapy from Sacramento County Mental Health.

SCOE has a 7-member Board of Education, elected by district . Each Trustee represents about 212,000 people. The Area 3 Trustee of the County Board of Education oversees our end of the SJUSD and adjacent parts of the TRUSD.