silicon valley schools · a property nerds® guide
Silicon Valley Schools Guide
In Silicon Valley, the school district on a home's address can move its price as much as the kitchen does. This guide shows how the districts fit together, lists every school in the districts our clients ask about most, and explains how to check any address before you buy.
districts
public schools
private schools
sources
how it works
How school districts work in Silicon Valley
Four things trip up even experienced buyers here. Know them before you fall for a house.
Two districts, one address
Many homes sit in an elementary district (usually TK–8) and a separate high school district. A Los Altos home, for example, is usually in the Los Altos School District through 8th grade and the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District for high school. Palo Alto Unified is the exception: one district from kindergarten to 12th grade.
City lines are not school lines
Cupertino Union reaches into Sunnyvale, San José, Saratoga, Los Altos and Santa Clara. The Town of Woodside is split among six school districts. Some Palo Alto addresses are outside Palo Alto Unified, and San Carlos high schoolers go to Sequoia Union, not San Mateo Union.
The listing is not proof
School fields on a listing are typed in by the listing agent and are often blank or out of date. The district decides, so check the exact address with the district's own lookup tool.
property nerd note
Popular schools can fill up. A new student is usually assigned to their neighborhood school, but when it is full the district may place them at another school. Ask the district about space for the grade you need, and check the date the boundary maps were last updated.
districts
School districts we cover
Every district below has its own page with all of its schools, two maps, the official address lookup and homes for sale.
Palo Alto, Los Altos & Mountain View
Palo Alto Unified School District
One unified district from kindergarten to 12th grade, with Gunn and Palo Alto High.
Los Altos School District
Seven TK–6 elementary schools and two 7–8 junior highs across Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.
Mountain View Whisman School District
Seven neighborhood elementary schools, two middle schools and two lottery choice schools.
Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District
Los Altos High and Mountain View High, assigned by address.
Cupertino & Sunnyvale
Cupertino Union School District
19 neighborhood schools reaching into Sunnyvale, San José, Saratoga, Los Altos and Santa Clara.
Sunnyvale School District
Eight elementary and two middle schools covering about two-thirds of Sunnyvale.
Fremont Union High School District
Cupertino, Fremont, Homestead, Lynbrook and Monta Vista high schools.
Saratoga, Los Gatos & West San José
Saratoga Union School District
Three TK–5 schools and Redwood Middle; Saratoga spans four elementary districts.
Los Gatos Union School District
Four TK–5 schools and Fisher Middle, including Daves Avenue in Monte Sereno.
Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District
Los Gatos High and Saratoga High.
Moreland School District
Seven schools in West San José, including two TK–8s.
Cambrian School District
Bagby, Fammatre, Farnham and Price; Sartorette closed in 2026.
Union School District
Six TK–5 schools and two middle schools in southwest San José.
Campbell Union School District
Neighborhood schools across Campbell, San José, Saratoga and Los Gatos.
Campbell Union High School District
Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect and Westmont, by address only.
Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside & Portola Valley
Menlo Park City School District
Three TK–5 schools and Hillview Middle School.
Las Lomitas Elementary School District
Two schools: Las Lomitas Elementary (TK–3) and La Entrada (4–8).
Portola Valley School District
Two schools: Ormondale (TK–3) and Corte Madera (4–8).
Woodside Elementary School District
One TK–8 school; the Town of Woodside spans six districts.
Sequoia Union High School District
Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia and Woodside high schools.
San Carlos, Belmont, Hillsborough & Burlingame
San Carlos School District
A TK–3, 4–5, 6–8 structure; high school is Sequoia Union.
Belmont-Redwood Shores School District
No attendance areas: assignment to the closest school with room.
Hillsborough City School District
Three TK–5 schools and Crocker Middle School.
Burlingame School District
Six TK–5 schools and Burlingame Intermediate.
San Mateo Union High School District
Six high schools from San Mateo to San Bruno.
who goes where
Elementary district → high school
Where students usually go for high school, by elementary district. Assignments follow the address, so confirm with the high school district.
| elementary / unified district | high school district | comprehensive high schools |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Unified | Palo Alto Unified (unified) | Gunn, Palo Alto High |
| Los Altos School District | Mountain View-Los Altos Union | Los Altos High, Mountain View High |
| Mountain View Whisman | Mountain View-Los Altos Union | Mountain View High, Los Altos High |
| Cupertino Union | Fremont Union | Cupertino, Fremont, Homestead, Lynbrook, Monta Vista |
| Sunnyvale School District | Fremont Union | Cupertino, Fremont, Homestead, Lynbrook, Monta Vista |
| Saratoga Union | Los Gatos-Saratoga Union | Los Gatos High, Saratoga High |
| Los Gatos Union | Los Gatos-Saratoga Union | Los Gatos High, Saratoga High |
| Moreland | Campbell Union High (most addresses) | Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, Westmont |
| Cambrian | Campbell Union High (most addresses) | Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, Westmont |
| Union School District | Campbell Union High (most addresses) | Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, Westmont |
| Campbell Union (elementary) | Campbell Union High (most addresses) | Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, Westmont |
| Menlo Park City | Sequoia Union | Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside |
| Las Lomitas | Sequoia Union | Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside |
| Portola Valley | Sequoia Union | Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside |
| Woodside Elementary | Sequoia Union | Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside |
| San Carlos | Sequoia Union | Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside |
| Belmont-Redwood Shores | Sequoia Union | Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside |
| Hillsborough City | San Mateo Union | Aragon, Burlingame, Capuchino, Hillsdale, Mills, San Mateo |
| Burlingame | San Mateo Union | Aragon, Burlingame, Capuchino, Hillsdale, Mills, San Mateo |
private schools
Independent and private schools
Private schools draw families from across the region, so they matter for commute planning more than for a single address. Grades and campuses below come from each school's own website.
| school | grades | campus | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Mitty High School | 9–12 | San José · map | Catholic |
| BASIS Independent Silicon Valley | TK–12 | San José · map | Campuses in San José and Sunnyvale |
| Bellarmine College Preparatory | 9–12 | San José · map | Boys · Catholic |
| The Carey School | Preschool–5 | San Mateo · map | |
| Castilleja School | 6–12 | Palo Alto · map | Girls · Campus rebuild underway |
| Challenger School | Preschool–8 | Multiple campuses | Several Santa Clara County campuses |
| Charles Armstrong School | 1–8 | Belmont · map | For students with dyslexia and related learning differences |
| Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School | 9–12 | San José · map | Catholic |
| Crystal Springs Uplands School | 6–12 | Hillsborough · map | Middle school campus in Belmont |
| Episcopal Day School of St. Matthew | PreK–8 | San Mateo · map | Episcopal |
| German International School of Silicon Valley | Preschool–12 | Mountain View · map | Second campus in San Francisco |
| Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School | TK–8 | Palo Alto · map | Jewish |
| The Girls' Middle School | 6–8 | Palo Alto · map | Girls |
| The Harker School | TK–12 | San José · map | Four San José campuses |
| Hillbrook School | JK–12 | Los Gatos · map | Upper school in downtown San José since 2023 |
| Junípero Serra High School | 9–12 | San Mateo · map | Boys · Catholic |
| The Kehillah School | 9–12 | Palo Alto · map | Jewish · Formerly Kehillah Jewish High School |
| Keys School | K–8 | Palo Alto · map | |
| Khan Lab School | TK–12 | Mountain View · map | TK–5 in Palo Alto, 6–12 in Mountain View |
| The King's Academy | K–12 | Sunnyvale · map | Christian · Added K–5 in 2025–26 |
| Menlo School | 6–12 | Atherton · map | |
| Mercy High School Burlingame | 9–12 | Burlingame · map | Girls · Catholic |
| Mid-Peninsula High School | 9–12 | Menlo Park · map | |
| Notre Dame High School (San Jose) | 9–12 | San José · map | Girls · Catholic |
| Notre Dame High School Belmont | 9–12 | Belmont · map | Girls · Catholic |
| The Nueva School | PreK–12 | Hillsborough · map | Upper school campus in San Mateo |
| Peninsula School | Preschool–8 | Menlo Park · map | |
| Phillips Brooks School | Preschool–5 | Menlo Park · map | Episcopal roots, nonsectarian |
| Pinewood School | K–12 | Los Altos · map | Lower, middle and upper campuses in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills |
| Presentation High School | 9–12 | San José · map | Girls · Catholic |
| Sacred Heart Schools Atherton | Preschool–12 | Atherton · map | Catholic |
| Saint Andrew's Episcopal School | PreK–8 | Saratoga · map | Episcopal |
| Saint Francis High School | 9–12 | Mountain View · map | Catholic |
| Silicon Valley International School | Preschool–12 | Palo Alto · map | Formerly International School of the Peninsula |
| Stratford School | Preschool–12 | Multiple campuses | Several Santa Clara County campuses |
| Valley Christian Schools | K–12 | San José · map | Christian |
| Waldorf School of the Peninsula | Preschool–12 | Los Altos · map | |
| Woodland School | Preschool–8 | Portola Valley · map | |
| Woodside Priory School | 6–12 | Portola Valley · map | Catholic · Boarding for grades 9–12 |
| Yavneh Day School | K–8 | Los Gatos · map | Jewish |
buying for schools
How the Property Nerds help school-driven buyers
Pick the schools, then the homes
Tell us the schools or districts you want. We map the attendance areas and set alerts for homes inside them, including coming-soon and Compass Private Exclusives.
Verify before you offer
We confirm the assigned schools for the exact address with the district and flag anything that could change, like capacity limits or boundary reviews.
Price the school premium
We compare recent sales on both sides of a boundary line, so you know what the schools are worth on that block and don't overpay.
free school check
Send us an address. We will check the schools.
The Boyenga Team at Compass has helped Silicon Valley families buy and sell since 1996, with more than 2,200 homes and $2.6 billion in sales.
faq
Silicon Valley schools FAQ
Which school districts does this guide cover?
Public school districts serving the Boyenga Team's core Silicon Valley cities, from Hillsborough and Burlingame south through Palo Alto, Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga and Los Gatos, plus the area's independent schools. Each district has its own page with every school, maps and the official address lookup.
How do I find out which schools serve a specific home?
Use the district's own address lookup, linked on each district page, and confirm with the district before you rely on it. Listing school fields are often blank or out of date. We are happy to check any address for you for free.
What is the difference between an elementary district and a high school district?
Many Silicon Valley homes are in two districts: an elementary district (usually TK–8) and a separate high school district (9–12). Palo Alto Unified is a unified district that covers both.
Does living next to a school guarantee a spot there?
Not always. Most districts assign students to a neighborhood school by address, but full schools may place new students elsewhere, choice and immersion schools use lotteries, and Belmont-Redwood Shores assigns students to the closest school with room.
Which high school district serves San Carlos and Belmont?
Sequoia Union High School District, not San Mateo Union. San Mateo Union serves San Mateo, Burlingame, Foster City, Hillsborough, Millbrae and San Bruno.
Can the Boyenga Team help us buy a home for a specific school?
Yes. Tell us the schools you want and we will map the attendance areas, set alerts for homes inside them, confirm assignments with the district and price the home against recent sales in the same area. Call (408) 373-1660.
Names, grades and links come from each district, each school and the California Department of Education, checked October 2026. No ratings or test scores are shown; see the California School Dashboard for official performance data.
