Ohlone Elementary

464 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

Ohlone Elementary School, located in the Midtown neighborhood of Palo Alto, is widely recognized for its unique educational philosophy centered on "open classroom" instruction. As a choice school within the Palo Alto Unified School District, it emphasizes a student-centered approach where children are encouraged to take an active role in their own learning. The curriculum is designed to be flexible and integrated, fostering independence, critical thinking, and a deep sense of community among students, teachers, and parents.

Beyond its academic program, Ohlone is noted for its strong emphasis on social-emotional learning and collaborative project-based activities. The school environment typically features multi-age groupings and a high level of parent involvement, which helps create a tight-knit campus culture. By prioritizing a holistic development model, Ohlone strives to prepare its students not just for academic success in middle and high school, but to become thoughtful, engaged, and self-directed members of the community.

464

Total Students

21.2

Full-Time Teachers

21.9

Student/Teacher Ratio

8.4%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Ohlone Elementary
Demographic	Student Count
White	121
Hispanic	47
Black	5
Asian	226
Two or More	65

Asian
226 (48.7%)
White
121 (26.1%)
Two or More
65 (14.0%)
Hispanic
47 (10.1%)
Black
5 (1.1%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Palo Alto Unified
Phone:	(650)856-1726
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	464
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	21.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	21.9
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes participating without using any Provision or the CEO
Qualified Free Lunch:	34
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	5

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 77

Grade 1 76

Grade 2 77

Grade 3 83

Grade 4 75

Grade 5 76