Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Fairmeadow Elementary

Public Grades K-5
71st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 5,857 California Elementary Schools
Better than 99% of California elementary schools
Summary

Fairmeadow Elementary is a high-performing K-5 public school serving 425 students in the highly-regarded Palo Alto Unified district, consistently ranking among the very top elementary schools in California.

The school is on an impressive upward trajectory, recently jumping to the 99th percentile statewide, and excels across all subjects, with particular strength in 4th grade English and science. It achieves these excellent results efficiently, spending less per student than some neighboring schools like Barron Park Elementary while outperforming them academically. A strong culture of attendance, with very low chronic absenteeism, is a key foundation of its success.

Fairmeadow is part of an extraordinary cluster of elite schools; within a short distance are top-ranked schools like Herbert Hoover Elementary and Bullis Charter. While some nearby schools like Palo Verde Elementary have seen their rankings dip, Fairmeadow's rapid improvement and balanced excellence make it a standout choice in a competitive educational landscape.

425
Students ?
19.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$28,121
Per pupil spending ?
12.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 500 East Meadow Dr.
       Palo Alto, CA  94306-3624

(650) 856-0845

District: Palo Alto Unified


Students who attend Fairmeadow Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle
High:    Henry M. Gunn High
Racial breakdown:

Asian:
48.0%
White:
28.9%
Hispanic:
16.0%
more
 See top rated California elementary schools

 Compare Fairmeadow Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 98th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the California average (85% vs 41% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 1% of California elementary schools
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school85%
District avg80%
California avg41%
71st of 5,857
California public elementary schools ?
Top 1%▲ up 1 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
4th of 12Elementary Schools in the Palo Alto Unified
41st of 1,543Palo Alto Unified among California districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.071 of 585798.8%★★★★★
202496.8184 of 586996.9%★★★★★
202396.1262 of 585995.5%★★★★★
202295.7319 of 588394.6%★★★★★
202196.168 of 141795.2%★★★★★
201996.2206 of 578996.4%★★★★★
201893.7404 of 566292.9%★★★★★
201795.5293 of 569294.9%★★★★★
201697.785 of 561498.5%★★★★★
201597.7127 of 561197.7%★★★★★
201393.5212 of 553096.2%★★★★★
201291.2351 of 539093.5%★★★★★
201190.8390 of 537792.7%★★★★★
201091.7346 of 531493.5%★★★★★
200990.9436 of 519391.6%★★★★★
200890.4458 of 511391.0%★★★★★
200794.7243 of 511395.2%★★★★★
200691.8389 of 481891.9%★★★★★
200593.3306 of 482293.7%★★★★★
200492.6361 of 480992.5%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202582.2105 of 120391.3%★★★★★
202481.3134 of 120588.9%★★★★☆
202373.2320 of 119073.1%★★★★☆
202278.0199 of 115482.8%★★★★☆
201984.539 of 114996.6%★★★★★
201873.0305 of 107171.5%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
201899.230 of 324699.1%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202597.564 of 559798.9%★★★★★
202495.4260 of 561295.4%★★★★★
202395.0279 of 560995.0%★★★★★
202296.1221 of 563596.1%★★★★★
202195.457 of 126795.5%★★★★★
201995.6189 of 549296.6%★★★★★
201894.7238 of 541395.6%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202595.0166 of 510796.7%★★★★★
202290.4347 of 508493.2%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202597.580 of 562898.6%★★★★★
202495.8209 of 564396.3%★★★★★
202395.4271 of 563895.2%★★★★★
202293.6410 of 566392.8%★★★★★
202195.271 of 127294.4%★★★★★
201993.2359 of 551093.5%★★★★★
201891.2502 of 543190.8%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202591.449 of 259898.1%★★★★★
202490.479 of 265197.0%★★★★★
202393.719 of 266199.3%★★★★★
202280.6426 of 272684.4%★★★★☆
201987.6164 of 283494.2%★★★★★
201881.5398 of 273785.5%★★★★☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
English Language Learner (2018)99th percentile+6 vs school
Female (2025)99th percentile~ school
Male (2025)99th percentile~ school
White (2025)98th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)97th percentile~ school
Asian (2025)91st percentile-8 vs school
By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy87%+38 vs state
Mathematics86%+48 vs state
Science80%+47 vs state

5.0
1 rating · 1 written review
51
40
30
20
10
Rate Fairmeadow Elementary
Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.
Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.
Tap a star to rate
What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, June 16, 2016

Open Quote Best elementary school on Earth! Close Quote





Schools Near Fairmeadow Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Fairmeadow Elementary

Students who attend Fairmeadow Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle
High : Henry M. Gunn High

In the 2024-25 school year, 425 students attended Fairmeadow Elementary.

Students at Fairmeadow Elementary are 48% Asian, 29% White, 16% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Yes! Fairmeadow Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 71st of 5857 California elementary schools.


Rate Fairmeadow Elementary!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Fairmeadow Elementary!




SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 267 milliseconds.