The top reported proficiency rate is 96% in English language arts. The lowest is 93% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Arundel Elementary
Arundel Elementary is a small kindergarten-through-third-grade school in San Carlos, a walkable, tree-lined Peninsula city between Redwood City and Belmont known for its locally owned downtown and quiet neighborhoods. The school enrolls students across a narrow grade band, making state assessment data available only for third grade, where results are notably strong. In the most recent testing cycle, third-grade proficiency in English language arts exceeded most other tested schools in the county, and math proficiency was similarly high. Across the school's tested grade, overall proficiency lands in the top quartile when compared against other San Mateo County districts.
The student body is diverse by race and ethnicity, with roughly equal shares of white and Asian students, followed by smaller groups of Hispanic students, multiracial students, and others. A small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting the enrollment leans toward more economically stable families. Data on English learner enrollment and special education enrollment were not available in the school's public reporting.
Arundel sits in a high-cost housing market. Homes in the 94070 zip code are valued at levels well above the state and national benchmarks, and rental costs are similarly elevated. For families buying in the area, the calculation includes not only purchase price but also property taxes tied to a general obligation bond (Measure H) approved by voters in March 2024, which levies an ongoing annual property tax cost to fund facility upgrades across the San Carlos School District's campuses. The bond covers modernization of classrooms, HVAC systems, roofs, safety, and STEM and arts spaces. Families should also be aware that the district placed a parcel tax renewal on the November 2026 ballot, with the new rate expected to be higher than the current amount; it would run alongside an existing parcel tax approved in 2020. The district publicly reported a projected budget deficit that is expected to grow over time, making parcel tax renewal outcomes meaningful for program and staffing sustainability.
San Carlos itself is experiencing steady growth, with mixed-use transit-oriented development around the Caltrain station adding housing and commercial space downtown over recent years, and a Downtown Streetscape Master Plan finalized in January 2026. Civic functions cluster near downtown: the library, city hall, and civic center sit together off Elm Street, and the renovated Caltrain station anchors the commercial core. Parks like Burton Park and the redesigned Harrington Park (now a pedestrian-oriented dining zone on Laurel Street) anchor community life. Schools in the San Carlos Elementary district are dispersed across neighborhoods rather than clustered at the center; students complete eighth grade in the district's two middle schools and then transition to Sequoia Union High School in Redwood City.
Arundel's early primary grades sit at the entry point of the K-8 pathway. The school's grade band means parents will want to assess how academic momentum built here carries forward through the upper elementary and middle years within the district. State testing data exist only for third grade, so a fuller picture of school performance across the K-2 band would benefit from conversations with the school directly about reading, math, and other early foundations. The publicly reported assessment results for the grades tested are strong, though baseline is a single year and single grade level.
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