Escondido Elementary School

Escondido Elementary is two schools in one building. It is the neighborhood school for an attendance area that includes Stanford's Escondido Village graduate housing and nearby Palo Alto blocks. It is also home to PAUSD's Spanish Immersion program, which draws families from across the district by lottery. The California Department of Education counted 445 students in the 2025 to 2026 school year, the second highest total among the district's 12 elementary schools after Ohlone.

The school's motto is "Friends Around the World," and its home page says students speak more than 15 home languages. This page adds detail to our overview of PAUSD elementary schools and our choice programs guide. We do not rank schools or quote test scores. Use the California School Dashboard for official data.

Location and campus

The address is 890 Escondido Road, Stanford 94305. The campus sits on Stanford land along Stanford Avenue, across from the College Terrace neighborhood and a short ride from Evergreen Park. Escondido Village, the large Stanford housing area for graduate students and their families, is next door.

PAUSD's 2018 facilities profile describes a 7.9 acre site with 10 single-story buildings around a central courtyard and a field to the north. It also lists a group of relocatable classrooms and two day care buildings. One unusual feature is the library, housed in an octagonal building. The profile noted plans to replace the multipurpose building and the library, so check with the school for the current state of the campus.

History

The school's About page says Escondido opened in 1960. The district's facilities records agree and show more classrooms added in 1961 and 1967. A 2001 project converted space into classrooms, created a new library inside an existing building and added a classroom wing. The name comes from Escondido Road. "Escondido" is Spanish for hidden.

The Spanish Immersion program began in 1995, according to the school's immersion page, which says it has taught students to be bilingual and biliterate for more than 30 years. The school's About page also says families from about 32 countries attend and that Escondido has the highest share of students in the district who speak a language other than English. Those figures appear alongside older enrollment numbers, so read them as a general picture rather than a current count.

The Spanish Immersion program

Spanish Immersion is a district choice program for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. It serves both English learners and Spanish learners in the same classrooms. The school lists three goals:

1. Bilingualism and biliteracy in both languages.
2. Academic achievement at or above grade level in both languages.
3. Positive cross-cultural attitudes and behavior.

The 90/10 model

Escondido uses a 90/10 model that puts heavy weight on Spanish in the early grades. In kindergarten about 90 percent of class time is in Spanish. English rises to about 30 percent by 3rd grade. By 5th grade roughly half of the schoolwork is done in each language. Each class aims for at least one third native speakers of each language, so students act as language models for each other.

Biliteracy recognitions

Starting in 2026, the school says it will give two state Biliteracy Pathway Recognitions to rising 6th graders in the program. Every participant receives the Program Participation Recognition. Students who are approaching proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in both languages also receive the Attainment Recognition, which lines up with the State Seal of Biliteracy awarded at high school graduation. Graduates can continue in the Language Bridge program at Greene Middle School.

How to get in

• Kindergarten: register with PAUSD, then submit a separate choice program application by the deadline. Siblings must apply too. Spanish-speaking applicants are assessed and placed in one of three lottery categories: fluent, limited or non-Spanish speaker.
• Siblings: kindergarten siblings of current immersion students get priority placement if they meet every deadline.
• Grades 1 to 5: the program waitlist opens in early March. Applicants take Spanish reading and oral language assessments, with a writing component from 3rd grade on. Placement depends on space and results.
• 2027 to 2028 dates: PAUSD's choice applications run January 19 to February 19, 2027 at 4 p.m., with the lottery on February 26, 2027.

Escondido holds virtual and in-person information nights and tours each winter. The school strongly encourages attending one before applying.

School life

Escondido's mission statement centers on global awareness and multicultural education, taught through classroom activities, assemblies, guest speakers, music and art. Its activities page lists year-round offerings and seasonal traditions:

• Year-round: noon sports for grades 3 to 5, Spectra Art funded by PiE, Playworks game time with junior coaches, a student leadership council for grades 3 to 5 and schoolwide morning yoga.
• Fall: an ice cream social, Back to School Night, a walk, bike and carpool day, the 3rd grade bike safety program and a Halloween parade.
• Winter: a science fair open to all grades, the Penny Power charity drive and a talent show.
• Spring: an International Fair, an end of school fair and an Earth Day recycled fashion show.

Bell schedule basics for 2026 to 2027

All grades leave at 12:10 p.m. on early release days: September 4, October 30, November 20 and December 18, 2026, then April 2 and June 1 to 3, 2027. Confirm on the Escondido daily schedule page.

Attendance area and feeder schools

For the English program, Escondido is a neighborhood school. Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Online guides have listed it for Evergreen Park, College Terrace and the Mayfield area. It also serves much of the Stanford graduate housing nearby. Use the School Finder on PAUSD's school placement and transfers page to confirm an address. Spanish Immersion students come from anywhere in the district.

The neighborhood guides list Greene Middle School and Palo Alto High School as the next steps. Immersion students who live elsewhere follow their own address's pathway unless they choose Language Bridge.

Getting there

The City of Palo Alto publishes a Walk and Roll map for Escondido in English and Spanish. It shows suggested walking and biking routes, crossing guard locations, travel times and safety tips for drivers. The school says parents, neighbors and staff helped city staff develop it. Questions go to the city's Safe Routes team at [email protected] or (650) 329-2156.

Stanford Avenue is the main approach for many Palo Alto families. Campus housing paths lead in from the Stanford side. Families who drive should plan for a busy curb at 8:10 a.m. and consider a carpool, which the school encourages. PAUSD does not run buses for most elementary students.

PTA, PiE and after school

The Escondido PTA runs community events through the year and keeps its own site, linked from the school's home page. PiE funds enrichment such as Spectra Art across the district. Parents can also volunteer in the library or join the School Site Council.

Two child care programs serve the campus. The Escondido Kids' Club, in the back field, offers daily after-school care for kindergarten through 5th grade. Right at School runs fee-based care from 7 a.m. until school starts and after school until 6 p.m., with discounts for siblings and for families who qualify for free or reduced price meals. Independent providers also teach after-school classes on campus. See our after-school programs guide for more.

Frequently asked questions