Summary:
The Portola Valley Elementary School District, serving grades K-8 through two public schools for 495 students in an affluent San Mateo County community, is a top-ranked California district known for exceptional academic performance and resources.
Families in Portola Valley are served by two high-performing schools: Ormondale Elementary for grades K-3 and Corte Madera for grades 4-8. Both schools consistently score in the top 1% of schools statewide, with students outperforming California averages by about 40 percentage points in core subjects like math, English, and science. Corte Madera, the middle school, is particularly standout, recently ranked 19th out of over 2,700 California middle schools and maintaining a 5-star rating. While both excel, Ormondale shows particular strength in mathematics, while Corte Madera's 8th graders achieve some of the highest proficiency rates.
The Portola Valley Elementary district as a whole is ranked 11th in the state, reflecting a system of sustained excellence. Key factors include very high per-student spending, low student-teacher ratios—especially at Corte Madera—and remarkably low chronic absenteeism, less than a quarter of the state average. This combination of significant resources, strong student attendance, and a consistent track record makes the district an exemplary model of high-achieving public education.
Thank you for your feedback!