Is Fairmeadow Elementary a good school?

Yes! Fairmeadow Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 184 th of 5862 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Fairmeadow Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 403 students attended Fairmeadow Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Fairmeadow Elementary?

Students at Fairmeadow Elementary are 47% Asian, 27% White, 14% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Fairmeadow Elementary attend?

Students who attend Fairmeadow Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle High : Henry M. Gunn High

Fairmeadow Elementary

Summary:

Fairmeadow Elementary is a highly-ranked public elementary school in Palo Alto, California, serving 403 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. Part of the Palo Alto Unified School District, Fairmeadow consistently performs among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic results and a diverse student population.

Fairmeadow's academic performance is truly outstanding, with 80-85% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics, far exceeding the state averages. The school's strong performance extends across all student subgroups, including female, male, Asian, and White students. Fairmeadow also maintains low chronic absenteeism rates and a small student-teacher ratio, indicating high levels of student engagement and individualized attention. Compared to nearby schools in the Palo Alto Unified District, such as Palo Verde Elementary and El Carmelo Elementary, Fairmeadow stands out as one of the top-performing elementary schools in the area.

Fairmeadow's exceptional academic results are particularly noteworthy when compared to Bullis Charter School, another high-performing school in the region. Both Fairmeadow and Bullis Charter have achieved exceptional performance on standardized tests, with Fairmeadow maintaining a consistent 5-star rating from SchoolDigger over several years. This level of sustained excellence, combined with the school's diverse student population, makes Fairmeadow an exceptional choice for families in the Palo Alto area.

Detail:

Public K-5

500 East Meadow Dr.
Palo Alto, CA 94306-3624

(650) 856-0845

District: Palo Alto Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
184^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,684

Students who attend Fairmeadow Elementary usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 20.2

Number of students: 403

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

46.9%

White:

27.3%

Hispanic:

13.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 11.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Fairmeadow Elementary ranks better than 96.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.78. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Fairmeadow Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (46.9%), White (27.3%), Hispanic (13.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 11.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fairmeadow Elementary is 20.2, which is the highest among 13 elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Fairmeadow Elementary employs 19.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fairmeadow Elementary is $13,684, which is the 6^th highest among 12 elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fairmeadow Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fairmeadow Elementary 184^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Fairmeadow Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

White students:

Palo Alto Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Palo Alto Unified 39^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Fairmeadow Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	92.56	361^st	4809	92.5%
2005	93.32	306^th	4822	93.7%
2006	91.80	389^th	4818	91.9%
2007	94.68	243^rd	5113	95.2%
2008	90.36	458^th	5113	91.0%
2009	90.85	436^th	5193	91.6%
2010	91.69	346^th	5314	93.5%
2011	90.83	390^th	5377	92.7%
2012	91.21	351^st	5390	93.5%
2013	93.53	212^th	5530	96.2%
2015	97.74	127^th	5611	97.7%
2016	97.72	85^th	5614	98.5%
2017	95.54	293^rd	5692	94.9%
2018	93.66	404^th	5662	92.9%
2019	96.23	206^th	5789	96.4%
2021	96.10	68^th	1417	95.2%
2022	95.68	319^th	5883	94.6%
2023	96.10	263^rd	5874	95.5%
2024	96.78	184^th	5862	96.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	99.24	30^th	3246	99.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	94.74	238^th	5413	95.6%
2019	95.63	189^th	5492	96.6%
2021	95.40	57^th	1267	95.5%
2022	96.08	221^st	5635	96.1%
2023	95.02	280^th	5617	95.0%
2024	95.38	260^th	5605	95.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	91.20	502^nd	5431	90.8%
2019	93.24	359^th	5510	93.5%
2021	95.19	71^st	1272	94.4%
2022	93.59	410^th	5663	92.8%
2023	95.43	272^nd	5650	95.2%
2024	95.82	209^th	5636	96.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.00	305^th	1071	71.5%
2019	84.51	39^th	1149	96.6%
2022	78.03	199^th	1154	82.8%
2023	73.20	320^th	1190	73.1%
2024	81.31	134^th	1203	88.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	90.35	347^th	5084	93.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Fairmeadow Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	81.48	398^th	2737	85.5%
2019	87.64	164^th	2834	94.2%
2022	80.59	426^th	2726	84.4%
2023	93.65	19^th	2662	99.3%
2024	90.40	79^th	2647	97.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, June 16, 2016

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Enrollment information for Fairmeadow Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	287	27	48	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
1989	314	42	50	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	431
1990	295	42	50	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	415
1991	280	46	55	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	409
1992	282	46	64	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	421
1993	277	40	60	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1994	266	35	63	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
1995	281	25	52	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	382
1996	281	25	52	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	382
1997	331	26	76	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	468
1998	307	24	92	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
1999	251	19	104	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	404
2000	234	15	103	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
2001	225	16	111	24	0	n/a	n/a	5	381
2002	167	24	102	32	0	n/a	n/a	19	344
2003	167	24	102	32	0	n/a	n/a	19	344
2004	151	23	144	36	1	n/a	n/a	15	370
2005	136	21	151	39	1	n/a	n/a	21	369
2006	140	21	148	36	0	n/a	n/a	34	379
2007	129	12	145	29	0	n/a	n/a	51	366
2008	142	16	140	34	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	332
2009	164	15	159	34	0	2	50	0	424
2010	168	12	164	48	0	2	36	0	430
2011	205	14	184	46	2	1	20	0	472
2012	221	12	191	47	0	0	33	0	504
2013	242	11	177	54	1	0	40	0	525
2014	235	14	196	57	1	0	48	0	551
2015	220	16	201	61	1	2	47	0	548
2016	205	9	211	50	0	2	37	0	514
2017	198	9	190	53	0	6	40	0	496
2018	167	8	190	53	0	5	46	0	469
2019	152	8	191	40	0	6	48	0	445
2020	150	5	182	47	0	5	49	0	438
2021	127	3	148	39	0	3	40	0	360
2022	125	3	181	56	0	3	40	0	408
2023	110	6	189	56	0	4	38	0	403

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fairmeadow Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	375	18.0	20.8	n/a
1989	431	18.0	23.9	n/a
1990	415	16.6	25.0	n/a
1991	409	16.8	24.3	n/a
1992	421	17.1	24.6	8.6
1993	403	18.5	21.8	12.4
1994	396	17.2	23.0	9.6
1995	382	16.9	22.6	7.3
1996	382	16.9	22.6	7.3
1997	468	19.5	24.0	8.3
1998	454	24.9	18.2	6.2
1999	404	23.0	17.6	5.2
2000	372	23.4	15.9	6.2
2001	381	24.6	15.5	6.1
2002	344	25.3	13.6	10.5
2003	344	25.3	13.6	10.5
2004	370	22.3	16.6	11.3
2005	369	23.5	15.7	11.2
2006	379	23.6	16.1	7.8
2007	366	26.5	13.8	8.6
2008	332	30.5	10.9	11.4
2009	424	28.0	12.5	8.5
2010	430	25.5	16.8	6.5
2011	472	n/a	n/a	6.4
2012	504	24.7	20.3	n/a
2013	525	24.1	21.7	3.8
2014	551	27.6	19.9	5.8
2015	548	25.0	21.9	6.9
2016	514	24.0	21.4	7.4
2017	496	23.6	20.9	8.7
2018	469	25.1	18.6	10
2019	445	26.6	16.6	8.8
2020	438	n/a	n/a	9.8
2021	360	19.5	18.3	9.2
2022	408	21.2	19.2	10.8
2023	403	19.9	20.2	11.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Fairmeadow Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	375	18.0	20.8	n/a
1989	431	18.0	23.9	n/a
1990	415	16.6	25.0	n/a
1991	409	16.8	24.3	n/a
1992	421	17.1	24.6	8.6
1993	403	18.5	21.8	12.4
1994	396	17.2	23.0	9.6
1995	382	16.9	22.6	7.3
1996	382	16.9	22.6	7.3
1997	468	19.5	24.0	8.3
1998	454	24.9	18.2	6.2
1999	404	23.0	17.6	5.2
2000	372	23.4	15.9	6.2
2001	381	24.6	15.5	6.1
2002	344	25.3	13.6	10.5
2003	344	25.3	13.6	10.5
2004	370	22.3	16.6	11.3
2005	369	23.5	15.7	11.2
2006	379	23.6	16.1	7.8
2007	366	26.5	13.8	8.6
2008	332	30.5	10.9	11.4
2009	424	28.0	12.5	8.5
2010	430	25.5	16.8	6.5
2011	472	n/a	n/a	6.4
2012	504	24.7	20.3	n/a
2013	525	24.1	21.7	3.8
2014	551	27.6	19.9	5.8
2015	548	25.0	21.9	6.9
2016	514	24.0	21.4	7.4
2017	496	23.6	20.9	8.7
2018	469	25.1	18.6	10
2019	445	26.6	16.6	8.8
2020	438	n/a	n/a	9.8
2021	360	19.5	18.3	9.2
2022	408	21.2	19.2	10.8
2023	403	19.9	20.2	11.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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