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What do you wish you knew before starting at Foster City Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
624
Elementary
DISTRICT 387 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SAN MATEO-FOSTER CITY·NCES 063492005905
Foster City Elementary
461 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 · (650) 312-7522 · San Mateo County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL624 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 72% of California public elementary schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- FThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
21.5:1
29 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.7:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
12%
75 students
DISTRICT 39% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 116 | 19% |
| Grade 1 | 69 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 100 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 114 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 114 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 111 | 18% |
This year's kindergarten class (116) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (111).
Student demographics
59%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 71% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
73.5%
CA avg 49.1% . -2.5pp since 2014
Math
76.1%
CA avg 37.7% . -4.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 73 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 76 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 3 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 5 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 43.9% | 29.6% | 12.5% | 14.0% |
| Math | 54.5% | 21.5% | 15.4% | 8.5% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 73.5% | 76.1% |
| 2023-24 | 74.4% | 79.7% |
| 2022-23 | 76.3% | 79.3% |
| 2021-22 | 81.3% | 83.1% |
| 2020-21 | 78.8% | 79.1% |
| 2018-19 | 79.8% | 84.5% |
| 2017-18 | 80.0% | 83.0% |
| 2016-17 | 78.1% | 84.1% |
| 2015-16 | 78.0% | 82.0% |
| 2014-15 | 76.0% | 81.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
75.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
72.5%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 76% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 72% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Foster City Elementary
Foster City Elementary's state test result (75.9% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foster City Elementary this school | 624 | 12.0% | 75.9% |
| Mangini Ranch Elementary Folsom | 598 | 14.2% | 80.2% |
| Valentine Elementary San Marino | 711 | 11.3% | 88.4% |
| Montevideo Elementary San Ramon | 592 | 10.1% | 73.5% |
| Eastwood Elementary Irvine | 647 | 15.6% | 69.8% |
| Creekside Elementary Danville | 549 | 7.5% | 86.8% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Foster City Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Mateo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 75.9% | #396 of 5,151 | #24 of 96 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 76.1% | #377 of 5,172 ▼ 142 | #25 of 96 ▼ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 73.5% | #568 of 5,172 ▼ 77 | #27 of 96 ▲ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -7.4pp | #263 of 5,116 | #13 of 96 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 624 | #1,198 of 5,915 | #7 of 106 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.5:1 | #1,842 of 5,352 | #42 of 99 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 58.9% | #1,932 of 5,354 | #64 of 99 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 12.0% | #5,421 of 5,625 | #82 of 103 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -30.2% | #532 of 3,837 | #13 of 79 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
624
-230 (-27%) vs 2020
-32% since 1990-91, when it was 911
Student : Teacher
21.5:1
was 23.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 624 | 29 | 21.5:1 | 12% (75) |
| 2023-24 | 679 | 30 | 22.6:1 | 12% (84) |
| 2022-23 | 699 | 33 | 21.2:1 | 7% (46) |
| 2020-21 | 854 | 36 | 23.7:1 | 7% (61) |
| 2017-18 | 894 | 35 | 25.5:1 | 3% (27) |
| 2015-16 | 897 | 36 | 24.9:1 | 2% (16) |
| 2010-11 | 791 | N/A | N/A | 5% (43) |
| 2000-01 | 750 | 35 | 21.4:1 | 3% (26) |
| 1990-91 | 911 | 32 | 28.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Foster City Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 30% (894 to 624); teachers down 17% (35 to 29).
About Foster City Elementary
Foster City Elementary runs as a medium-sized elementary school in Foster City, California. Enrollment is 624 students in 2024-25, and the school serves kindergarten through 5. Against the 465-student average for elementary schools in California, enrollment here is 34% higher.
San Mateo-Foster City runs Foster City Elementary along with 21 other schools, enrolling 9,906 students in total.
Asian students account for 60% of enrollment at Foster City Elementary. Smaller groups are 17% White, 11% multiracial, and 10% Hispanic. For comparison, the population of San Mateo County is roughly 31% Asian. Foster City Elementary has a diversity index of 59%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Its teaching staff equals 29 full-time positions, a ratio of 21.5:1. That ratio is under the 22.3:1 average for elementary schools in California. Around 12% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. That is 22 points below the 34% average for public schools in San Mateo County.
The allk12 Grade for Foster City Elementary is B+. Compared with California public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 72% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Foster City Elementary's actual average proficiency rate on state tests (75.9%) and its predicted rate (72.5%) put it outside the top and bottom 10% of California schools.
Recent Census Bureau figures for San Mateo County show that median household income is about $158,855, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 54%, and about 4% of people live in poverty. Foster City Elementary is one of 176 public schools in San Mateo County, which together enroll about 82,403 students.
The closest public school to Foster City Elementary is Beach Park Elementary, about 0.6 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. Among 6 nearby schools that report test results, Foster City Elementary ranks 1st on proficiency.
Its location is classified as Suburb: Large by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the student count dropped from 854 to 624. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 23.7:1 in 2020-21 to 21.5:1 in 2024-25.
Threads on this page can be about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
San Mateo County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
742,340
Census ACS
Median income
$158,855
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
54%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
176
82,403 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in San Mateo-Foster City
- Bowditch MiddleMiddle · 929 students
- Borel MiddleMiddle · 903 students
- Bayside AcademyElementary · 840 students
- Abbott MiddleMiddle · 721 students
- Baywood ElementaryElementary · 489 students
- Laurel ElementaryElementary · 469 students
Other schools in Foster City
- Bowditch MiddleMiddle · 929 students
- Audubon ElementaryElementary · 445 students
- Beach Park ElementaryElementary · 347 students
- Brewer Island ElementaryElementary · 306 students
- San Mateo-Foster City Special Education PreschoolElementary · 1 students
Nearby schools
- Beach Park Elementary0.6 mi · 347
- Design Tech High1.1 mi · 567
- George Hall Elementary1.1 mi · 370
- Brewer Island Elementary1.3 mi · 306
- San Mateo-Foster City Special Education Preschool1.4 mi · 1
- Fiesta Gardens International Elementary1.5 mi · 418
Frequently asked questions
About Foster City ElementaryHow many students attend Foster City Elementary?
Foster City Elementary enrolls approximately 624 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Foster City Elementary serve?
Foster City Elementary serves grades KG-05.
How many teachers does Foster City Elementary have?
Foster City Elementary employs 29 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.5:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Foster City Elementary?
At Foster City Elementary, the student body is approximately 17% White, 10% Hispanic, 0% Black, 60% Asian, 11% Two or more.
What district is Foster City Elementary in?
Foster City Elementary is part of San Mateo-Foster City.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.