Farallone View Elementary, Montara CA

Original Research by School Decision on Farallone View Elementary

Farallone View Elementary is a small neighborhood K-5 school in Montara, a quiet coastal village on San Mateo County's Midcoast. The school serves approximately a hundred fifty students across six grades, with a student body that is predominantly white, and a modest share of students from Hispanic backgrounds and multiracial families. Few students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the overall economic profile of the area.

On California's 2024-25 state assessments, Farallone View's proficiency shows a mixed picture across grade bands. In mathematics, third grade sits below the proficiency line, while fourth and fifth grades meet or exceed it. English language arts is stronger at fifth grade, sitting well above proficiency, but weaker in the middle grades. Science proficiency at fifth grade, the only grade tested, lands in the mid-range. Overall across tested subjects and grades, the school's average proficiency sits above the midpoint when compared to other district schools in San Mateo County.

The school's position is worth understanding in context. State testing began only in 2024-25, so no prior year data exists to show whether performance is rising, falling, or stable. The pattern suggests the school has genuine strength in upper-grade literacy but faces a real soft spot in third-grade mathematics, which a parent may want to look into further with the school to understand what support structures exist for students working below proficiency at that grade level.

Montara itself is an unincorporated residential village oriented almost entirely toward single-family homes and outdoor life. The town has resisted large-scale commercial development and remains car-dependent despite its pleasant walkability for local recreation. Residents are drawn to the beach, Montara Mountain trails, and a small collection of locally owned businesses rather than chains. Housing values are very high, reflecting the Midcoast's scarcity and desirability, and growth is tightly constrained by coastal planning rules and infrastructure limits. Most working residents commute to Silicon Valley or the San Francisco Bay Area for employment; the local economy centers on tourism, agriculture, and services.

Farallone View sits on a residential campus on LaConte Avenue within Montara, making it accessible to families in the immediate neighborhood. Students who advance beyond fifth grade move into the Cabrillo Unified system, attending Cunha Intermediate and then Half Moon Bay High School in nearby Half Moon Bay, a short drive away. The district recently made labor peace with its unions through three-year contracts, a shift that signals greater staffing stability after years of strain. Voters also approved a long-term general obligation bond and a parcel tax increase, both of which add to property tax obligations but fund school facilities and staff compensation. Families considering the area should be aware that these assessments have locked in higher annual costs for homeowners for years to come.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 35% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 49% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 32% · ▲ 46 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 41% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 50% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 586%

School 86% · District 43% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 30% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

This schoolCabrillo Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.