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Menlo School reports slight enrollment rise, lower campus trips and updated tree assessment to Atherton planning commission
Summary
Menlo School told the Atherton Planning Commission its enrollment rose to 805 under its conditional use permit cap, reported lower morning and afternoon campus trips than targets, and presented a new arborist inventory. The commission unanimously received the annual institutional master plan update.
The Atherton Planning Commission on Sept. 24 received Menlo School's annual institutional master plan update, hearing that the school’s 2024–25 enrollment rose to 805 students — at the cap set in the school's conditional use permit — while measured vehicle trips to campus were below the town targets.
A Menlo School representative told commissioners the school's morning vehicle count was 598 trips against a target of 627, and afternoon trips were 411 against a target of 453. "These numbers represent a community-wide effort to reduce trips to our campus," the representative said in presenting the report.
The update also included a new arborist assessment the school commissioned this year. The school said the arborist counted 410 trees on campus in 30 species; about 230 were designated as heritage trees, nearly 80% of the trees were rated in good or fair condition, and only four were judged to be in critical condition or dead and possibly requiring removal.
The report is an annual submission required under the town's institutional master plan provision for private schools; staff said this report is an informational submittal rather than a request for new approvals. Town planner Britney Bennix introduced the item and said some schools sometimes pair the annual report with conditional-use requests, but Menlo was not seeking approvals at the meeting.
Public comment included praise for the school's communication with neighbors and a short exchange about a campus program called Music at Menlo. A resident asked whether Music at Menlo operates as an outside rental. The school representative said Music at Menlo is a nonprofit program run within Menlo School that has a significant student component and is not an outside rental.
A resident also raised concerns about students parking off campus and noted traffic near a local street; the school representative and a school operations official said the gated faculty entrance is keyed and not part of the counts required by the town, and that staff parking in the gated area is limited. The school reiterated it meets the enrollment limit in the CUP and described ongoing neighbor meetings and other efforts to reduce trips.
After questions, commissioners voted unanimously to receive the report. The commission did not impose new conditions at the meeting.
The school said it will pursue ongoing maintenance and tree care based on the arborist’s recommendations and will continue the annual neighbor meeting that staff and the school characterize as cordial. The commission encouraged continued dialogue between the school and neighbors and noted the town staff will continue to track the school’s traffic numbers in future annual reports.
