Summary:
Zip code 94019 includes five schools in Half Moon Bay, serving grades K–12: two elementary schools, one intermediate school, and two high schools, with 2,325 students enrolled. Results vary substantially across the area: in 2025–2026, school proficiency rates spanned 48 points in English language arts (ELA) and 51 points in science. The clearest overall academic standout is El Granada Elementary.
El Granada led the five schools in all three subjects, with 64% proficient in ELA, 48% in math, and 51% in science—above state rates by 15, 9, and 15 percentage points, respectively. Its advantage also appears in direct elementary comparisons: it led Alvin S. Hatch Elementary in every reported grade 3–5 ELA and math result. At the other end, Pilarcitos Alternative High had the lowest ELA and science results, at 15% and 0%; it also had 65% chronic absenteeism, compared with 20% at Half Moon Bay High and 18% statewide. The two high schools differ sharply in grade 11 ELA: Half Moon Bay High was at 57%, 41 percentage points above Pilarcitos. Half Moon Bay High’s 29% math result, however, was near the bottom of the group.
Recent results improved on average across the four schools with two years of scores: from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, their average proficiency rose 8 points in ELA, 3 in math, and 13 in science, though Manuel F. Cunha Intermediate declined in ELA and math. SchoolDigger ranks El Granada at the 75th percentile with four stars, compared with Pilarcitos at the 28th percentile with one star. The schools’ reported free/reduced lunch eligible shares for sy 2024–2025 range from 25% at El Granada to 48% at Pilarcitos; these figures describe school context, not the reason for results. Comparisons across all grades have limits because the schools serve different age groups, and Pilarcitos enrolls just 25 students.
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