71 Lodato Ave
San Mateo, CA 94403

My son completed his first year at Abbott Middle School and overall it was a very positive experience with both the teachers, principal and administrators. The principal is committed to building a positive culture where students can thrive emotionally while also focusing on academic progress at the same time. We love the social events and community building programs at this school. The staff is friendly and super interested in continuing to make Abbott a great school. The PTA and parents are also working hard on building in a support system for teachers and students. The staff has been very responsive when there is a problem and we have felt very satisfied with how any problems have been resolved. There is a deep and interesting history at Abbott with a lot to be proud of over the years. Excited to see how Abbott continues to improve and evolve as a school. Looking forward to more great years ahead!

This is a small school where everyone really knows your kid. The community is welcoming and diverse, and it genuinely feels like parents, teachers, and students all have a voice. The teachers and staff truly care, and it shows. My kids have really enjoyed art, music, and LEGO classes, as well as great assemblies and field trips. Outdoor Ed is probably the student favorite. Because the student body is diverse, achievement levels vary, but teachers do teach students at their level through small reading and math groups. The recent outdoor renovation—new playground, turf, and an outdoor classroom—has been an awesome upgrade and is well loved by the students and neighborhood.

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.