The Schools Division Office (SDO) of San Carlos City, Pangasinan, was established through national education governance reforms that decentralized the Department of Education’s structure under Republic Act 9155 and subsequent organizational rationalization efforts, which shaped independent Schools Division Offices across the country.

Situated in a historically significant city once known as Binalatongan—renamed San Carlos following major uprisings in the 17th and 18th centuries—the division grew from the earlier unified provincial school administration that once supervised all municipalities and cities in Pangasinan.

With the province’s education system eventually subdivided to improve governance and accommodate growing learner populations, San Carlos City emerged as its own dedicated Schools Division Office under DepEd Region I.

Today, SDO San Carlos City operates as a fully structured and service‑oriented division, recognized for its commitment to quality education—including achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification for all its public schools.