San Mateo-Foster City: San Mateo-Foster City elementary schools add +5.5 points from grade 3 to 5 — a signal that schools are adding real value.
San Mateo-Foster City has 21 ranked schools across elementary and middle levels with an average Scope Score of 50.6/100 — 5.8 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is College Park Elementary at 91/100, where 61.2% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,293 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 6 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 16.6%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 50.1/100 | 18 | 29.1% | 16.6% |
| Middle | Solid 53.3/100 | 3 | 29.2% | 16.4% |
San Mateo-Foster City's middle schools average 53.3/100 — 10.6 points above the state average with +4.3pp grade-to-grade growth.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in San Mateo-Foster City, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
San Mateo-Foster City has 21 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 50.6/100 — 5.8 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: San Mateo-Foster City's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 53.3.
District-wide elementary growth averages +5.5pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — schools are adding meaningful value beyond what students arrive with.
Score range of 71.1 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 16.6%, 1.4pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.6%, near the state average of 1.6%.
College Park Elementary leads the district at 91 with 61.2% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in San Mateo-Foster City
Hidden gems: 10 schools in San Mateo-Foster City are classified as Growth Engine (6) or On the Rise (4) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
San Mateo-Foster City spends $15,293 per student in current expenditures — $479 above the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in San Mateo-Foster City
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (18)
San Mateo-Foster City has 18 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 50.1 — 5.3 points above the state average of 44.8. 1 of 18 elementary schools have Scope Scores above 90.
Grade-to-grade growth averages +5.5pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring elementary school is College Park Elementary with a Scope Score of 91 and 61.2% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College Park Elementary San Mateo-Foster City High Ceiling | 61.2% | Strong 91/100 |
| 2 | Beach Park Elementary San Mateo-Foster City High Ceiling | 53.1% | Strong 72/100 |
| 3 | Foster City Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Growth Engine | 49.3% | Strong 72/100 |
| 4 | Brewer Island Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Growth Engine | 47.3% | Solid 69/100 |
| 5 | George Hall Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Solid Base | 42.6% | Solid 63/100 |
| 6 | North Shoreview Montessori San Mateo-Foster City Growth Engine | 43.6% | Solid 59/100 |
| 7 | Highlands Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Strong All-Around | 35.3% | Solid 58/100 |
| 8 | Audubon Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Growth Engine | 37.9% | Solid 56/100 |
| 9 | Baywood Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Culture First | 37.0% | Solid 54/100 |
| 10 | Parkside Montessori San Mateo-Foster City Growth Engine | 25.7% | Solid 53/100 |
| 11 | Meadow Heights Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum | 22.0% | Developing 46/100 |
| 12 | Bayside Academy San Mateo-Foster City On the Rise | 16.0% | Developing 42/100 |
| 13 | Fiesta Gardens International Elementary San Mateo-Foster City On the Rise | 11.8% | Developing 41/100 |
| 14 | Laurel Elementary San Mateo-Foster City On the Rise | 10.3% | Developing 34/100 |
| 15 | Beresford Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum | 16.8% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 16 | LEAD Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum | 4.4% | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 17 | San Mateo Park Elementary San Mateo-Foster City On the Rise | 3.8% | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 18 | Sunnybrae Elementary San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum | 4.7% | Needs Support 20/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
San Mateo-Foster City has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.3 — 10.6 points above the state average of 42.6.
Grade-to-grade growth averages +4.3pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring middle school is Bowditch Middle with a Scope Score of 69 and 47.4% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowditch Middle San Mateo-Foster City Strong All-Around | 47.4% | Solid 69/100 |
| 2 | Borel Middle San Mateo-Foster City Growth Engine | 23.3% | Developing 48/100 |
| 3 | Abbott Middle San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum | 16.9% | Developing 43/100 |
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology