Laurel Elementary

Laurel Elementary is a primary school of middle-of-the-pack scale in San Mateo, California, operated by San Mateo-Foster City, enrolling 469 students in grades K through 5.

Across the 22 schools in San Mateo-Foster City (9,906 students total), Laurel Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Laurel Elementary records that 77% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. Beyond that, the school lists 8% Asian, 7% White, 6% multiracial, 3% Pacific Islander. The wider county runs roughly 25% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 21.8:1. The state averages about 22.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 77% of students at Laurel Elementary qualify 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 somewhat above typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Laurel Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 33.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 22.5%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for San Mateo County indicate median household earnings sit near $158,855, roughly 54% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Laurel Elementary is one of 176 public schools in San Mateo County (combined enrollment of about 82,403 students).

Abbott Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Laurel Elementary comes 9th of 9 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 55.8%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 11%: 525 students in 2018 compared to 469 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment rose from 50% to 77% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 23.9:1 in 2018 to 21.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for Laurel Elementary typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.