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El Carmelo Elementary is a neighborhood school in the south part of Midtown, on a four-acre block wrapped by Bryant Street, Ramona Street, Loma Verde Avenue and El Carmelo Avenue. Its students are the Dragons. Its mission statement describes an inclusive school that wants children to "think critically and act compassionately." In the 2025 to 2026 school year the California Department of Education counted 290 students, including a small group in transitional kindergarten.
This page builds on our overview of PAUSD elementary schools. It covers what the district documents about the campus, the 2026 to 2027 schedule, attendance and the detailed drop-off and bike rules El Carmelo publishes. We do not rank schools or report test scores. The California School Dashboard is the official source for performance data.
Location and neighborhood
The address is 3024 Bryant Street, Palo Alto 94306. The school sits in the residential blocks between Middlefield Road and Alma Street that our guide calls South of Midtown, just below the shops of Midtown proper. Hoover Park, with its playground and fenced dog park, is a few blocks away on Cowper Street.
Bryant Street in front of the school is part of the Ellen Fletcher Bicycle Boulevard, the city's original bike boulevard, which runs from Palo Alto Avenue to East Meadow Drive and carries many students to school. Our bike boulevards guide explains how these calmer streets work.
Campus history
PAUSD's 2018 facilities profile says the campus was originally built in 1955. The first buildings were the lower classroom wing along Bryant Street and the administration building. A multipurpose building was added in 1957. A library resource building went up in 1967 and was rebuilt in 2001.
The 2001 work was part of the district's Building for Excellence program, which also renovated classrooms and the office and added accessibility and seismic upgrades. The profile describes six single-story buildings in an elongated L shape on a 4.0 acre site, with 1.7 acres of grass play area. It also notes three relocatable buildings, two of them used for day care. The school's website has a construction update page, but it had no posts in late October 2026.
The school shares its name with El Carmelo Avenue, one of the four streets around the campus. Neither the school nor the district explains the choice on its website.
Programs and school life
El Carmelo's welcome text describes an inclusive and rigorous school focused on the academic, social and emotional growth of its students. Teachers partner with parents to raise children who value the cultural, ethnic, racial, religious and economic diversity of the community. The school's motto line sums it up: "We learn, play & grow!"
The programs follow the district's elementary model. Students get PAUSD music and physical education, library time and PiE-funded art. The 3rd grade bike safety course runs each fall. Like other neighborhood schools, El Carmelo has no choice or immersion program of its own. Families interested in those options apply through the lottery described in our choice programs guide.
El Carmelo is one of the district's seven TK sites. TK students come from across the school's cluster and enroll for kindergarten at their own neighborhood school the following year.
Bell schedule basics for 2026 to 2027
El Carmelo starts later than most PAUSD elementary schools. Its posted schedule:
| Group | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|
| TK | 8:25 to 11:35 a.m. | 8:25 to 11:35 a.m. |
| Start, kindergarten to grade 5 | 8:25 a.m. | 8:25 a.m. |
| Kindergarten through October 16 | 12:10 p.m. | 12:10 p.m. |
| Kindergarten from October 19, grades 1 to 3 | 2:30 p.m. | 1:35 p.m. |
| Grades 4 and 5 | 2:55 p.m. | 1:35 p.m. |
On early release days all grades leave at 12:25 p.m. For 2026 to 2027 those days are September 4, October 30, November 20 and December 18, 2026, then April 2 and June 1 to 3, 2027. The El Carmelo daily schedule page carries any updates.
Attendance area and feeder schools
Midtown is split among several elementary schools. Palo Alto Online and Palo Alto Weekly profiles have listed El Carmelo for parts of Midtown, South of Midtown and St. Claire Gardens. Other nearby addresses are assigned to Fairmeadow or Palo Verde. The School Finder linked from PAUSD's school placement and transfers page gives the answer for a specific address.
The neighborhood guides list JLS Middle School and Gunn High School as the next steps for this area. If El Carmelo is full in a grade, PAUSD may overflow a new student to another school in the cluster and keep the child on the El Carmelo waitlist.
Drop-off, pickup and biking
El Carmelo publishes some of the most specific traffic rules in the district. Safe Routes to School maps show suggested walking and biking routes. The school stresses that choosing a car-free commute is each family's decision.
If you drive
- Red zones: no stopping or parking at any time.
- Yellow zones: two sections on Ramona Street and one on Bryant Street are for active loading only. The driver stays in the car while children gather their things and get out on their own.
- Yellow zone hours: no parking from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. on school days, 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
- Walking a child in: park away from the yellow zones so the line keeps moving.
- Circulation: make a series of right turns around the block. Never make a U-turn on the streets around the school.
- Neighbors: children get out on the school side of the car. Do not block driveways.
If your child bikes
The school says students in 3rd grade and above may ride to school unaccompanied. All 3rd graders get basic bike safety training in the fall. Even so, the school urges parents to make sure a child is a competent rider who follows the rules of the road before letting them ride alone, whatever their age. Bikes are walked on school grounds and in crosswalks and locked to the racks. California law requires riders under 18 to wear a helmet.
PAUSD does not run buses for most elementary students, which is one reason so many El Carmelo families walk or bike.
PTA, PiE and after school
The El Carmelo PTA runs its own website with volunteer sign-ups and event news, linked from the school's home page. Like every PAUSD elementary school, El Carmelo also benefits from Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE), which pools donations for staff and programs across the district. Parents can join the School Site Council, which helps set school goals.
For child care, the school lists two providers. Right at School offers both before-school and after-school care at El Carmelo, with reduced pricing for qualifying families. Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) runs the El Carmelo Kids' Club on campus. Contact each directly for space and fees. Our after-school programs guide covers how these partners work across the district.
Good to know
- El Carmelo starts at 8:25 a.m. and grades 4 and 5 leave at 2:55 p.m.
- Stay in the car in the yellow zones. Park elsewhere if you need to walk in.
- Right turns only around the block, with no U-turns.
- Confirm the El Carmelo assignment in the PAUSD School Finder.
Frequently asked questions
Where is El Carmelo Elementary?
El Carmelo is at 3024 Bryant Street in south Palo Alto. The campus is bounded by El Carmelo Avenue, Bryant Street, Loma Verde Avenue and Ramona Street. Bryant Street is part of the Ellen Fletcher Bicycle Boulevard.
What time does El Carmelo start?
El Carmelo starts at 8:25 a.m. in 2026 to 2027. Grades 1 to 3 leave at 2:30 p.m. and grades 4 and 5 at 2:55 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. All grades leave at 1:35 p.m. on Wednesdays and 12:25 p.m. on early release days.
Where do I drop off at El Carmelo?
Use the yellow zones, two on Ramona Street and one on Bryant Street, for active loading only. The driver stays in the car while children get out on the curb side. Parents who need to walk in should park away from the yellow zones.
Can my child bike alone to El Carmelo?
The school says students in 3rd grade and above may ride to school unaccompanied. Every 3rd grader gets basic bike safety training in the fall. State law requires riders under 18 to wear a helmet. Bikes are walked on school grounds and locked to the racks.
Does El Carmelo have transitional kindergarten?
Yes. El Carmelo is one of seven PAUSD TK sites. In 2026 to 2027 TK runs from 8:25 to 11:35 a.m. every school day. The district assigns TK seats within each cluster, so check placement with Registration Services.