A part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco , this school provides education for young men. The school has an academic focus with a college preparatory curriculum. Bartholomew's Catholic Parish. The original student body consisted of 86 freshmen and sophomores. The school moved to new facilities at West 20th Avenue in San Mateo in the fall of when the student body grew to In , Michael Peterson was named the first lay principal of Serra and Fr.
Stephen H. Howell was named the school's first president. From to , Fr. Joe Bradley class of '73 served as president, overseeing fundraising efforts for major campus renovation. In , Barry Thornton, Ed. Under their tenure, the school expanded course offerings and completed large-scale renovations. Phase I of Serra's master plan was completed in , featuring new facilities for football, baseball, and wrestling, along with a space parking structure.
Phase II was completed in , and created five new science lecture-labs, a new music room, two art classrooms, an academic resource center, and a ,gallon infinity pool for competitive aquatics.
In , Serra undertook a smaller project, renovating the playing surfaces used for baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, and track. More than 60 percent of Serra students are enrolled in honors and Advanced Placement courses.
Serra has averaged an 80 percent AP pass rate over the past five years, which is more than 20 points higher than the national average. Serra features 30 honors and AP classes, and 93 percent of Serra faculty members hold advanced degrees.
