2139 Balmoral Ct
San Mateo, CA 94403

I expected Abbott to be a decent experience for my son and was never planning an alternative, but it has exceeeded my expecations. In 2023 the school got a new principal and all-new upper admin and counselors, and people are happy. The district cares, and there is good parent involvement. Teachers are good and motivated, and the academics prepare kids well for high school - I've confirmed this with parents whose kids have gone all the way. The campus looks great with new athletic fields and gym. There is so much value to diversity and having your child experience the world as it really is, not in a bubble, because the world is not going to create custom, perfected experiences for your child, and no school is going to eliminate the difficulty of middle years. I have not seen anything out of the ordinary for middle school so far. And there is a lot of value in your kids having neighborhood friends. If you're hoping that at Abbott your kids will meet Buffy and Chad and join their ski holidays in Gstaad, you will be disappointed. But this school is so much better as a result.

My daughter started kindergarten at Meadow Heights this year. To be honest, the 4/10 GreatSchools score made me nervous, but a meeting with Principal Eilers helped put our concerns at ease. She is clearly very motivated to make the school great and ensure every child succeeds. She's data-driven and focused on applying techniques that are proven to be effective. Scores aren't everything, but it's awesome to see that her strategy is working and the scores are already improving!My daughter is thriving at the school and likes her teacher. I see her learning new skills every week. The school also has a great community of engaged parents and I appreciate that the school is in constant communication through the ParentSquare app. We get weekly reports about what the kids are learning and always feel connected.Another feature we're impressed by is that the kids get Chromebooks to take home. My daughter enjoys doing her reading and math assignments, and I feel that's a really effective way for her to learn at her own pace.We also love that our daughter has access to after care at Beresford Kids Club. She has a great time there and spends her afternoons doing fun activities.

To be very honest, this was probably the worst experience in my life. I’m a current college student looking back on my high school experience making this realization. The staff are very unsupportive, particularly the academic counselors. They see the students as numbers and can be a little racially biased. My counselor in particular constantly mixed me up with other students and overlooked my achievements simply because I was Asian. The teachers are very harsh and don’t provide enough support to each individual student. The students can be very comparative and toxic with one another, with constant rumors going around. It was common for people to run out of their classrooms crying while going on a bathroom break. The peer pressure for academics was too much and there were nearly zero mental health resources. Overall, my experience was a 2/5. If I were to repeat my high school experience I would choose San mateo high school. Aragon is a breeding ground for poor mental health.