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Brewer Island Elementary · Foster City

Brewer Island Elementary: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.

Brewer Island pairs 73% proficiency with gains that hold up when the same students are tracked two years apart — the rare school that posts both.

1151 Polynesia Drive, 94404 (opens in new tab)·San Mateo-Foster City·Foster City·Grades TK-5·306 students·19% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(650) 312-7532·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6945
% Exceeded47%21%
% Met+73%43%
Growth+9.6-2.9
Absence12.5%17.9%
Suspension2.1%1.6%
Scope Score
69
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #520 statewide · #4 of 18 in San Mateo-Foster City

Brewer Island Elementary scores 69 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 91st percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🚀 Growth Engine — Ask how the school tracks each kid's growth year to year, and what happens when a kid stalls instead of gaining.

Most rating sites would stop at “73% proficient” and call it done. Brewer Island deserves a closer read. It sits at the 91st percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Brewer Island's low-income kids hit 60.0% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has held the 91st-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 73% meet the standard today, versus 80% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 380%78%74%77%59%
Grade 479%92%82%79%75%
Grade 578%91%91%76%76%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 383%82%77%82%73%
Grade 486%94%81%75%78%
Grade 571%83%87%73%75%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

30%
30%
40%
Grade 3 · 60% proficient
57%
18%
25%
Grade 4 · 75% proficient
49%
27%
24%
Grade 5 · 76% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 19.5pp across grades; the floor rises 17.4pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
47.3%
State 21.3%
25.9pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+9.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
72.6%
State 42.7%
30.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.5%
State 17.9%
5.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.1%
State 1.6%
0.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
31.7%
State 18.0%
13.7pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Brewer Island Elementary in Foster City, 60.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 26.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Brewer Island Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 33.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (60.0% Math proficient); Asian students (81.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 20 students tested.

All students at this school: 73% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 73%, district —, state 43%73%
MaleMale: this school 73%, district 50%, state 42%73% · −0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 74%, district 52%, state 44%74% · +0 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 87%, district 84%, state 72%87% · +14 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 41%, district 21%, state 32%41% · −32 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 60%, district 25%, state 32%60% · −13 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 50%, district 8%, state 11%50% · −23 vs school

8 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 12.5%, district 16.6%, state 17.9%12.5% · −5.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.1%, district —, state 1.6%2.1% · +0.5pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (16.4% vs 7.1%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–67.1%
TK/K16.4%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Brewer Island Elementary
69/100
This school
High School
No feeder data available for this level

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 21:122:1
Teaching staff17 teachers
Avg. experience19.7 years
Fully credentialed100%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,604 – $128,965
Principal salary$189,953 – $0
Superintendent salary$376,500

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $23,467, CA average $14,815$23,467 · spent at this school
Federal share$621 per student

$621 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,745 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction63%
Instruction support11%
Student services9%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance8%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$15,293 per pupil
2019$13,645 per pupil
2018$12,968 per pupil
2017$12,491 per pupil
2016$11,067 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian45.1%
District 24.9% · CA 10.2%
Hispanic20.3%
District 41.4% · CA 56.1%
Other19.9%
District 16.6% · CA 9.0%
White13.4%
District 16.3% · CA 19.9%
Black1.3%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 18.6% (45pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$192K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.71M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+74% · CA 35%
ZIP population35,881
Median age40 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 65% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Brewer Island Elementary a good elementary school?

Brewer Island Elementary has a Scope Score of 69 out of 100, placing it in the 91st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #520 statewide. 47.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 25.9 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Brewer Island Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 72.6% of students at Brewer Island Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 47.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 47.3% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 305 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Brewer Island Elementary rank in California?

Brewer Island Elementary ranks #520 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 91st percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

Is Brewer Island Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Brewer Island Elementary increases by 9.6 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Brewer Island Elementary?

12.5% of students at Brewer Island Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.1%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Brewer Island Elementary compare to other schools in Foster City?

Brewer Island Elementary scores 69/100 (91st percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 306 students. Use the schools in Foster City page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Brewer Island Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Brewer Island Elementary in Foster City, 60.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 26.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Brewer Island Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 33.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (60.0% Math proficient); Asian students (81.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 20 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
47.3%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 75th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+9.6pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 59th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
72.6%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 73th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.5%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.1%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 46th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
31.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 69th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34430%30%16%25%59%+16
Grade 45657%18%9%16%75%+30
Grade 55149%27%12%12%76%+29
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34441%32%16%11%73%+27
Grade 45956%22%8%14%78%+36
Grade 55151%24%14%12%75%+39
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115135%29%31%4%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged2060.0%+34+22
Asian7181.7%−1+7
Hispanic/Latino2744.4%+20+6
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Brewer Island Elementary ←6947.3%72.6%+9.62.1%
College Park Elementary2.2 mi9161.2%82.7%+2.60.1%
Central Elementary2.8 mi8774.3%89.7%−6.60.9%
Beach Park Elementary0.8 mi7253.1%72.2%−6.90.5%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197393#40153.8%79.6%3.7%0.2%-7.2pp
20228699#2765.4%86.9%11.0%0.0%+6.7pp
20239199#2059.4%81.9%14.0%0.0%+13.6pp
20246890#57851.4%77.0%8.4%0.4%-4.8pp
20256991#52047.3%72.6%12.5%2.1%+9.6pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female4.9%10.2%+5.3pp
Male2.3%13.5%+11.2pp
Asian3.2%8.5%+5.3pp
White0.0%11.8%+11.8pp
Hispanic/Latino13.0%14.1%+1.1pp
Two or More Races0.0%13.9%+13.9pp
Students with Disabilities15.2%18.2%+3.0pp
English Learners3.2%9.2%+6.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged10.4%18.8%+8.4pp
All Students3.6%12.0%+8.4pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction