Four public school districts received the lowest overall grades among eligible entries in Niche’s 2027 San Mateo County listing. Three earned a B and one earned a D+. The three-way tie at B brought a fourth district into the comparison.
The district with a D+ still earned a B for food, a higher mark in that category than two of the districts with a B overall. Another report card gave teachers a B and clubs and activities a C.
Academics account for half of the overall grade under Niche’s 2027 district methodology, which also weighs teacher-related data, student and parent surveys, and other factors.
California’s spring 2026 Smarter Balanced results, reported separately below, show the share of tested students who met or exceeded the state standard in each subject.
Cabrillo Unified School District — Overall Niche Grade B
Cabrillo earned a B overall in its 2027 Niche district evaluation and a B for sports in Niche’s 2027 county athletics listing. The kindergarten-through-12th-grade district serves Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Moss Beach and Montara. It enrolled 2,562 students in 2024–25.
| Verified 2027 Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Sports | B |
English language arts gained nearly four points
In spring 2026, 45.25% of tested Cabrillo students met or exceeded California’s English language arts standard, and 34.11% did so in math. English language arts rose nearly four percentage points from the previous spring, while math rose by just under one point, according to district results compiled by EdSource.
Cabrillo had 21.08 students per teacher in the 2024–25 federal staffing count. The national public-school benchmark was 15.2 in 2023–24.
The National Center for Education Statistics withheld the 2024–25 national ratio because Tennessee’s data were missing. The ratio measures staffing across a school system, and class sizes vary by school and grade.
Spanish immersion starts at Hatch Elementary
At Alvin S. Hatch Elementary in Half Moon Bay, children can enter the two-way Spanish-English immersion program in transitional kindergarten or kindergarten. Bilingual students may qualify to enter later after an assessment. Students can continue their immersion coursework at Cunha Intermediate School.
Jefferson Elementary School District — Overall Niche Grade B
Diversity earned an A, while clubs and activities earned a C+ on Jefferson Elementary’s 2027 Niche report card. The district describes its programs as serving preschool through eighth grade across Daly City, Colma, Broadmoor Village and parts of Pacifica. Federal data put 2024–25 enrollment at 4,952.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | B− |
| Diversity | A |
| Teachers | B |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | C+ |
| Administration | B |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | B− |
| Resources & Facilities | B− |
Math approached 40% proficiency
On California’s spring 2026 tests, 47.14% of tested students met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 39.87% met or exceeded the math standard. Both figures rose from the previous spring, with math up 1.8 percentage points.
Jefferson had 21.33 students per teacher in the 2024–25 federal staffing count, compared with the 15.2 national benchmark for 2023–24.
A state grant expands support for families
Jefferson received a three-year, $743,400 state grant for work that includes reducing chronic absenteeism. The county office says the district will expand family liaison services, including home visits, interpretation and workshops.
San Bruno Park School District — Overall Niche Grade B
San Bruno Park earned Bs for academics and teachers, alongside Cs for administration and resources and facilities on its 2027 Niche report card. The district serves San Bruno and enrolled 2,003 students in kindergarten through eighth grade in 2024–25.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | B |
| Diversity | A− |
| Teachers | B |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | C |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | C+ |
| Resources & Facilities | C |
Math rose by more than four points
In spring 2026, 49.71% of tested students met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 45.74% did so in math. The district’s Smarter Balanced results show that math rose about 4.5 percentage points from the previous spring, while English language arts rose about three points.
The district had 22.81 students per teacher in the 2024–25 federal count, the highest ratio of the four featured districts and above the 15.2 national benchmark for 2023–24.
After-school care is available at every campus
San Bruno Park offers Champions after-school programming at all district school sites. Families can check the district’s program page for paid enrollment and scholarship options.
Ravenswood City School District — Overall Niche Grade D+
Ravenswood earned a B for food and a D+ for academics on its 2027 Niche report card. The district serves East Palo Alto and part of eastern Menlo Park. It enrolled 1,449 students in kindergarten through eighth grade in 2024–25.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | D+ |
| Diversity | C+ |
| Teachers | C |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | C+ |
| Administration | C+ |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | B |
| Resources & Facilities | C |
Math improved, with about one in 10 meeting the standard
In spring 2026, 12.54% of tested students met or exceeded the English language arts standard, and 10.24% did so in math. The district’s Smarter Balanced results show that math rose 3.1 percentage points from the previous spring, while English language arts rose by less than half a point.
Ravenswood had about 17.12 students per teacher, calculated from 2024–25 federal enrollment and staffing figures. That was the lowest ratio among the four featured districts and above the 15.2 national benchmark for 2023–24.
Free programs continue through school breaks
Ravenswood offers free expanded learning for district students through local community partners. Families can check options for after-school care during the school year, programming during breaks and summer sessions.
Where the cutoff fell and what families can check
B was the cutoff, and B+ was the next higher grade among eligible districts on Niche’s list. The listing also includes the San Mateo County Office of Education, which the California School Directory classifies separately from local school districts.
The shared B overall still leaves room for differences. San Bruno Park earned a B for academics, one step above Jefferson Elementary’s B−. Jefferson earned a B for administration, a full letter grade above San Bruno Park’s C.
Families can start with the county’s school district boundary maps, confirm the assigned campus with the district and use California’s Smarter Balanced results tool to look up results for that school and grade.