Corte Madera

As a rural-scale middle school in Portola Valley, California, Corte Madera serves 252 students from grades 4 through 8, one of the schools within Portola Valley Elementary. Enrollment runs roughly 62% smaller than the state mean of about 659.

Within Portola Valley Elementary, which oversees 2 schools and 495 students, Corte Madera is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Corte Madera shows that 61% of the student body identifies as White; the rest breaks down as 18% multiracial, 13% Hispanic, 7% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 38% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully more White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school employs 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.3:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 20.7:1 average. About 7% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against San Mateo County (around 34%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

With demographic context factored in, Corte Madera tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 75.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 85.4%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for San Mateo County indicate median household earnings sit near $158,855, 54% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 4%. Corte Madera is one of 176 public schools in San Mateo County (combined enrollment of about 82,403 students).

Nearest neighbor: Ormondale Elementary, around 0.9 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Corte Madera at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 79.1%.

Corte Madera operates from a bedroom-community location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Corte Madera has decreased 27%, going from 343 students in 2018 to 252 in 2025. The White share of enrollment shrank from 68% to 61% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 13.4:1 in 2018 to 11.3:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for Corte Madera typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.