Corte Madera

Tucked into the wooded hills of Portola Valley — one of the Peninsula's most serene and tight-knit communities — Corte Madera School serves grades 4 through 8 and consistently ranks among the very best middle-level schools in California. Academics here are genuinely rigorous across the board, with science scores that are essentially off the charts, making it a natural fit for families who want their kids challenged and engaged well before high school. If you're drawn to a smaller, nature-surrounded town where the school feels like the heart of the community, Portola Valley has a rare quality of life that's hard to find this close to Silicon Valley.