Fiesta Gardens International Elementary, San Mateo CA

Original Research by School Decision on Fiesta Gardens International Elementary

Fiesta Gardens International Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in San Mateo, a dense, walkable Peninsula city with a vibrant downtown and three Caltrain stations. The school enrolls a small to mid-sized cohort, about half of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of white, multiracial, Asian, and other students.

Academic performance at Fiesta Gardens is notably weak across the state's tested subjects. In the 2024-25 school year, proficiency in English language arts stood around one-fifth of students overall, with third and fourth graders testing at roughly a tenth and one-fifth respectively, while fifth grade reached closer to a third. Mathematics showed a similar pattern: third grade at roughly one-fifth, fourth grade at one-fifth, fifth grade near two-fifths. Science proficiency in fifth grade came in around a third. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in San Mateo County. These are not isolated results; the school is the lowest-performing entity in its peer set countywide on proficiency measures. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about instructional approaches, student support structures, and any plans to address these gaps.

The school sits within the San Mateo-Foster City School District, which has undergone significant recent change. In 2021, the district eliminated its accelerated math track in favor of single heterogeneous sixth-grade math classes and expanded pathways to algebra in eighth grade, a deliberate equity move that drew strong pushback from some families but has broadened access to higher-level math. The district passed a general obligation bond in 2020 and is preparing a new bond measure for the June 2026 ballot, both direct costs to property owners. The district is also navigating sustained enrollment decline and tightening finances, with a parcel tax set to expire in 2027-28, placing potential pressure on programs and staffing.

Housing values in the San Mateo zip code are very high; median home values are among the steepest in the region, and median rents reflect that too. For families renting, rental costs consume about half of median household income. The city itself is highly walkable, especially downtown, which has a Walk Score of 96, with restaurants, shops, galleries, and a public library all within walking or biking distance. Central Park anchors downtown, and the Hillsdale area near Hillsdale Station serves as a secondary walkable hub. Growth leans toward higher-density housing and mixed-use development rather than single-family sprawl. San Francisco International Airport is about seven miles north.

State testing data exist only for grades three through five, as the school's lower grades are not assessed. The single-year window of available data means no trend information is present. The school's data on English learners and special education enrollment were not available.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 50% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 52% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 50% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 43% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 42 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 51% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 54% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 43% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolSan Mateo-Foster City, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income0%Higher-income30%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income20%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income53%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income7%Higher-income45%38 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income15%Higher-income27%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income55%29 pp gap