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If you had an hour of school board time for Menlo-Atherton High, what would you bring up?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,158
High
DISTRICT 1,403 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SEQUOIA UNION HIGH·NCES 063639006195
Menlo-Atherton High
555 Middlefield Rd., Atherton, CA 94025 · (650) 322-5311 · San Mateo County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL2,158 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 71% of California public high 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.
- C-Three-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 high schools
Student : Teacher
17.9:1
120 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.1:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
33%
712 students
DISTRICT 36% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 500 | 23% |
| Grade 10 | 559 | 26% |
| Grade 11 | 528 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 571 | 26% |
Student demographics
69%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · 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
69.3%
CA avg 49.1% . +2.3pp since 2014
Math
50.9%
CA avg 37.7% . +2.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 69 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 51 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 2 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 44.1% | 25.2% | 14.1% | 16.6% |
| Math | 34.8% | 16.1% | 16.7% | 32.4% |
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 | 69.3% | 50.9% |
| 2023-24 | 72.0% | 54.3% |
| 2022-23 | 67.2% | 48.5% |
| 2021-22 | 70.8% | 52.4% |
| 2018-19 | 73.8% | 55.3% |
| 2017-18 | 56.0% | 46.4% |
| 2016-17 | 71.2% | 52.7% |
| 2015-16 | 61.0% | 49.0% |
| 2014-15 | 67.0% | 48.0% |
% 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
61.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
60.2%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 62% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 60% 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 Menlo-Atherton High
Menlo-Atherton High's state test result (61.6% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo-Atherton High this school | 2,158 | 33.0% | 61.6% |
| Frontier High Bakersfield | 2,098 | 35.8% | 52.0% |
| Simi Valley High Simi Valley | 1,910 | 36.5% | 35.3% |
| Burroughs High Burbank | 2,283 | 26.6% | 58.0% |
| San Marcos High San Marcos | 3,067 | 32.0% | 40.6% |
| Buchanan High Clovis | 2,551 | 35.2% | 69.2% |
Matched among California high 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 Menlo-Atherton High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Mateo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 61.6% | #161 of 1,052 | #5 of 17 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 50.9% | #160 of 1,056 ▼ 40 | #5 of 17 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 69.3% | #260 of 1,056 ▼ 59 | #7 of 17 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -1.5pp | #288 of 1,044 | #12 of 17 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,158 | #206 of 2,093 | #2 of 35 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.9:1 | #281 of 1,352 | #7 of 23 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 68.6% | #160 of 1,351 | #8 of 23 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 33.0% | #1,374 of 1,575 | #16 of 28 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -11.9% | #396 of 802 | #8 of 14 |
Ranked against other public high 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
2,158
-210 (-9%) vs 2020
+41% since 1990-91, when it was 1,529
Student : Teacher
17.9:1
was 18.1:1
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 | 2,158 | 120.3 | 17.9:1 | 33% (712) |
| 2023-24 | 2,152 | 123.7 | 17.4:1 | 33% (720) |
| 2022-23 | 2,125 | 112.9 | 18.8:1 | 30% (646) |
| 2020-21 | 2,368 | 131 | 18.1:1 | 31% (723) |
| 2017-18 | 2,450 | 126.4 | 19.4:1 | 41% (995) |
| 2015-16 | 2,275 | 116 | 19.6:1 | 33% (756) |
| 2010-11 | 2,049 | N/A | N/A | 31% (640) |
| 2000-01 | 2,012 | 93 | 21.6:1 | 6% (126) |
| 1990-91 | 1,529 | 74 | 20.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Menlo-Atherton High.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (2,450 to 2,158); teachers down 5% (126.4 to 120.3).
About Menlo-Atherton High
Menlo-Atherton High is a large high school in California, with an address in Atherton. In all, 2,158 students attend the school in grades 9 through 12. It has 158% more students than the average for high schools in California (about 838).
Menlo-Atherton High is one school in Sequoia Union High, a system of 6 schools with 8,419 students.
Of every 100 students at Menlo-Atherton High, about 43 are Hispanic, the largest group. Smaller groups are 35% White, 8% Asian, 5% multiracial, and 4% Pacific Islander. For comparison, the population of San Mateo County is roughly 25% Hispanic. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 69%.
Menlo-Atherton High reported 120.3 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, a ratio of 17.9:1. That is in line with the 18.2:1 average for high schools in California. There are 712 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 33% of enrollment. The average for public schools in San Mateo County is similar, at 34%.
On the allk12 Grade, Menlo-Atherton High lands at B+, ahead of 71% of California public high schools.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, Menlo-Atherton High would score about 60.2%. It scores 61.6%, 1.4 points above that figure.
In San Mateo County, median household income comes to about $158,855, roughly 54% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. San Mateo County counts 176 public schools with about 82,403 students.
Menlo-Atherton High is about 0.4 miles from Laurel Elementary, its nearest public school. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Of 8 schools in the immediate area with test results, Menlo-Atherton High ranks 4th on average proficiency.
Menlo-Atherton High is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, a location NCES labels Suburb: Large.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, Menlo-Atherton High had a net loss of 210 students, or 9%.
The allk12 page for Menlo-Atherton High lets the school community talk about pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. You can also rate the school on this page.
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 Sequoia Union High
- Carlmont HighHigh · 2,360 students
- Sequoia HighHigh · 1,854 students
- Woodside HighHigh · 1,660 students
- Tide AcademyHigh · 212 students
- Redwood HighHigh · 175 students
Other schools in Atherton
- Laurel ElementaryElementary · 658 students
- Encinal ElementaryElementary · 604 students
- Adelante Selby Spanish ImmersionElementary · 582 students
- Las Lomitas ElementaryElementary · 522 students
Nearby schools
- Laurel Elementary0.4 mi · 658
- Encinal Elementary0.7 mi · 604
- KIPP Valiant Community Prep0.9 mi · 587
- Belle Haven Elementary1.3 mi · 312
- Tide Academy1.4 mi · 212
- Garfield Elementary1.6 mi · 280
Frequently asked questions
About Menlo-Atherton HighHow many students attend Menlo-Atherton High?
Menlo-Atherton High enrolls approximately 2,158 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Menlo-Atherton High serve?
Menlo-Atherton High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Menlo-Atherton High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Menlo-Atherton High is approximately 17.9:1 (120 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Menlo-Atherton High?
At Menlo-Atherton High, the student body is approximately 35% White, 43% Hispanic, 3% Black, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is Menlo-Atherton High in?
Menlo-Atherton High is part of Sequoia Union High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.