Laurel Elementary, San Mateo CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Laurel Elementary

Laurel Elementary sits in San Mateo, a compact Peninsula city with a vibrant downtown and strong median household income. The school enrolls a small student body of about five hundred, spanning kindergarten through fifth grade. More than two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is predominantly Latino, with smaller shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students.

The school's state test results on the 2024-25 CAASPP show proficiency that is considerably below the state midpoint. In English language arts across grades three through five, the school's average proficiency sits well below one-third, with fifth grade performing somewhat better than third or fourth grade. Math proficiency is similarly low, with only the fifth grade reaching one-quarter proficiency; third and fourth grades are substantially lower. Science, tested in fifth grade only, shows proficiency in the low twenties. The comparison data places Laurel's overall proficiency index in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in San Mateo County, a meaningful gap.

The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and serves as part of the San Mateo-Foster City School District. The district recently overhauled its middle school math approach, moving toward heterogeneous, detracked instruction that gives more students a pathway to Algebra by eighth grade; this shift reflected a deliberate equity focus and drew significant parent debate. The district also passed a bond measure in 2020 to upgrade school facilities, with major work at Bowditch Middle School completed. Looking ahead, the district faces enrollment decline and plans a new bond measure for June 2026; a current parcel tax supporting schools expires in 2027-28 and will need renewal. These shifts mean families should expect ongoing budget conversations and potential staffing pressures in the years ahead.

San Mateo itself is anchored by a walkable downtown with dining, shops, and arts activity, connected by Central Park and served by three Caltrain stations and local SamTrans bus service. Home values in the zip code are very high, and housing costs consume a substantial share of area incomes. The city is oriented toward mixed-use, higher-density development near downtown and transit hubs rather than sprawl of single-family homes. The environment is urban-suburban in character, with strong public amenities and a real civic center downtown.

For families considering Laurel, the primary question is academic. The school's test results signal significant proficiency gaps, especially in the third and fourth grades, that warrant direct conversation with the school about intervention, instructional approach, and support systems. A parent may want to look into further with the school what resources are directed at reading and math in the lower grades, and what progress monitoring or intervention looksystems are in place. The school's demographic composition and location in a high-cost, transit-connected neighborhood are factual attributes; how those fit a family's needs depends on each family's own priorities and circumstances.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 314%

School 14% · District 50% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 45 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 52% · ▼ 35 pts below district

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

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 50% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 313%

School 13% · District 43% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 51% · ▼ 32 pts below district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 54% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 43% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 26 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-income5%Higher-income40%35 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income10%Higher-income45%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income81%64 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income7%Higher-income39%32 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income5%Higher-income55%50 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income13%Higher-income69%56 pp gap