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Public school district · California

San Mateo-Foster City.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across San Mateo-Foster City—and look beyond a single district average.

College Park ElementaryFoster City ElementaryBowditch MiddleBeach Park ElementaryBrewer Island ElementaryGeorge Hall ElementaryNorth Shoreview MontessoriHighlands ElementaryAudubon ElementaryBaywood ElementaryParkside MontessoriBorel MiddleMeadow Heights ElementaryAbbott MiddleBayside AcademyFiesta Gardens International ElementaryBeresford ElementaryLaurel ElementaryLEAD ElementarySunnybrae ElementarySan Mateo Park ElementarySan Mateo-Foster CityN ↑
21 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary18 schools
avg 45.2/1009 Strong, 4 Needs Support, +5 more
Middle3 schools
avg 50.5/1002 Solid, 1 Strong

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 2

The elementary years

One school defines the top: College Park Elementary sits 17 points clear of the field — the other 17 elementary schools are a different conversation.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

71 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 18 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

College Park Elementary (86/100) holds the Strong band — 61.2% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 29.1%. 4 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.

The catch

71 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

99th percentile · StrongScope Score 86/100
Foster City Elementary
Strong All-Around
93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 69/100
Beach Park Elementary
Strong All-Around
93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 68/100

All 18 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 2

The middle years

One school defines the top: Bowditch Middle sits 24 points clear of the field — the other 2 middle schools are a different conversation.

0100

3 middle schools span 29 points around an average of 50.5.

The strength

Bowditch Middle (68/100) holds the Strong band — 47.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 29.2%.

The catch

29 points separate the top and bottom middle schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

Bowditch Middle
Building Momentum
93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 68/100
Borel Middle
Building Momentum
68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Abbott Middle
On the Rise
56th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is College Park Elementary at 86/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 5 campuses here rank as On the Rise, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

College Park Elementary 99th percentile · StrongScope Score 86/100Bowditch Middle 93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 68/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

San Mateo-Foster City has 21 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

18 comparable schools · average 45.2/100 · range 15.0–85.9

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

3 comparable schools · average 50.5/100 · range 39.0–68.4

Explore San Mateo-Foster City by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
San Mateo-Foster Citythis district45.9 / 10021College Park Elementary—
Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary72.4 / 1007Ralston Intermediate2.4 mi
Hillsborough City Elementary83.5 / 1004North Hillsborough3.1 mi
San Carlos Elementary81.6 / 1003Central Middle3.6 mi
Menlo Park City Elementary77.2 / 1004Laurel Elementary9.5 mi
Palo Alto Unified80.3 / 1003Palo Alto High11.9 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in San Mateo-Foster City

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in San Mateo-Foster City · 18 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
College Park Elementary
San Mateo-Foster City High Ceiling
61.2%99th percentile · StrongScope Score 86/100
Foster City Elementary
San Mateo-Foster City Strong All-Around
49.3%93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 69/100
Beach Park Elementary
San Mateo-Foster City Strong All-Around
53.1%93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 68/100
Brewer Island Elementary
San Mateo-Foster City Strong All-Around
47.3%90th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
George Hall Elementary
San Mateo-Foster City Strong All-Around
42.6%86th percentile · StrongScope Score 59/100
North Shoreview Montessori
San Mateo-Foster City Solid Base
43.6%84th percentile · StrongScope Score 57/100

Middle schools in San Mateo-Foster City · 3 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Bowditch Middle
San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum
47.4%93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 68/100
Borel Middle
San Mateo-Foster City Building Momentum
23.3%68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Abbott Middle
San Mateo-Foster City On the Rise
16.9%56th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

San Mateo-Foster City spent $22,745 per student in FY 2024–25 — $2,254 more than the median California district ($20,491), about 11% higher. About 63 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction63%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services9%
  • Administration8%
  • Buildings & maintenance8%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$65,604–$128,965
Teaching staff611 · FTE
District enrollment10,969 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 42.3% · White 16.7% · Black 0.7% · Asian 23.7% · Other 16.7%
Free/reduced lunch39% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond San Mateo-Foster City?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

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.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 21 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in San Mateo-Foster City?
This SchoolScope directory lists 21 public schools in San Mateo-Foster City with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in San Mateo-Foster City?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: College Park Elementary (86/100). Middle: Bowditch Middle (68/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in San Mateo-Foster City guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.