Is Forest School a good school?

Forest School ranks 334 th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Forest School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 439 students attended Forest School.

What is the racial makeup of Forest School?

Students at Forest School are 47% Hispanic, 28% African American, 15% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Forest School attend?

Students who attend Forest School usually go on to attend: Middle : Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate School Middle : Harry M. Bailey Middle School High : West Haven High School

Forest School

Summary:

Forest School is an elementary school located in West Haven, Connecticut, serving grades PK-4 with a student population of 410. The school is part of the West Haven School District, which is ranked 124 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Forest School has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (48.05%) and African American (29.27%) students compared to the state average. This racial composition is significantly different from the nearby schools, such as Race Brook School, which has a higher percentage of white students (66.07%). Academically, Forest School's performance, as measured by SBAC test scores, is consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 25.6% of 3rd-grade students at Forest School were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 45.9% statewide and 33.1% in the West Haven School District. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 66.28% to 73.87% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools, such as Race Brook School, which has a free and reduced lunch rate of only 15.42%.

The analysis of Forest School's data reveals several areas of concern, including persistent academic underperformance, high rates of poverty, and potential racial disparities. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Connecticut elementary schools, with a ranking between 334 and 415 out of 497-538 schools over the past several years. This underperformance is evident across all grade levels and subject areas, suggesting systemic challenges that the school and West Haven School District need to address. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Forest School, a proxy for low socioeconomic status, is likely a contributing factor to the school's academic underperformance, and the significant racial differences between Forest School and the nearby schools raise questions about educational equity and access.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

95 Burwell Rd.
West Haven, CT 06516

(203) 931-6800

District: West Haven School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
334^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,872

Students who attend Forest School usually attend:

Middle:	Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate School
	Harry M. Bailey Middle School
High:	West Haven High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 439

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

47.4%

African American:

28.2%

White:

15.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.8%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Forest School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Forest School ranks worse than 67.2% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the West Haven School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.54. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Forest School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (47.4%), African American (28.2%), White (15%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Forest School is 11.2. 3 elementary schools in the West Haven School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Forest School employs 39 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Forest School is $18,872, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the West Haven School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Forest School:

SchoolDigger ranks Forest School 334^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Forest School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Hispanic students:

West Haven School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Haven School District 124^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Forest School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Forest School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	34.28	432^nd	570	24.2%
2007	30.18	450^th	568	20.8%
2008	45.84	383^rd	565	32.2%
2009	42.99	406^th	566	28.3%
2010	40.26	424^th	579	26.8%
2011	36.14	428^th	565	24.2%
2012	22.22	472^nd	564	16.3%
2013	15.24	491^st	557	11.8%
2015	38.77	368^th	551	33.2%
2016	30.74	353^rd	518	31.9%
2017	40.35	310^th	519	40.3%
2018	21.04	413^th	532	22.4%
2019	24.61	398^th	522	23.8%
2021	21.07	415^th	538	22.9%
2022	17.34	377^th	490	23.1%
2023	17.63	376^th	491	23.4%
2024	28.54	334^th	497	32.8%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	61.63	2^nd	3	33.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	41.31	219^th	371	41.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	47.08	153^rd	302	49.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	16.02	372^nd	455	18.2%
2023	11.02	206^th	230	10.4%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	19.19	352^nd	445	20.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Forest School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	55.55	43^rd	101	57.4%
2021	59.12	58^th	173	66.5%
2022	43.23	55^th	99	44.4%
2024	44.56	55^th	111	50.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Forest School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Forest School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Forest School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	395	170	20	34	2	n/a	n/a	621
1989	403	163	10	39	0	n/a	n/a	615
1990	433	183	23	38	n/a	n/a	n/a	677
1991	396	151	16	34	0	n/a	n/a	597
1992	406	158	8	49	0	n/a	n/a	621
1993	413	164	7	35	0	n/a	n/a	619
1994	402	188	10	54	1	n/a	n/a	655
1995	377	229	7	85	3	n/a	n/a	701
1996	377	229	7	85	3	n/a	n/a	701
1997	329	216	8	101	3	n/a	n/a	657
1998	304	204	6	103	1	n/a	n/a	618
1999	284	205	9	112	1	n/a	n/a	611
2000	272	223	9	116	1	n/a	n/a	621
2001	263	213	8	114	2	n/a	n/a	600
2002	212	220	10	126	0	n/a	n/a	568
2003	212	220	10	126	0	n/a	n/a	568
2004	195	207	13	132	0	n/a	n/a	547
2005	190	215	17	141	0	n/a	n/a	563
2006	209	215	26	159	0	n/a	n/a	609
2007	137	166	18	140	0	n/a	n/a	461
2008	118	162	14	147	1	n/a	n/a	442
2009	113	152	17	154	2	n/a	n/a	438
2010	125	149	18	169	0	n/a	n/a	461
2011	106	128	21	189	0	0	20	464
2012	107	135	23	190	0	0	21	476
2013	95	127	19	196	0	0	16	453
2014	83	136	17	205	0	0	25	466
2015	91	126	18	215	1	0	27	478
2016	89	123	16	205	1	0	27	461
2017	78	115	20	209	1	0	22	445
2018	63	115	18	197	2	0	29	424
2019	66	88	17	197	1	0	28	397
2020	64	102	18	196	0	0	26	406
2021	58	108	17	188	0	0	27	398
2022	60	118	20	204	0	1	27	430
2023	59	120	11	197	0	1	22	410
2024	66	124	14	208	2	1	24	439

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Forest School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	621	30.0	20.7	n/a
1989	615	33.0	18.6	n/a
1990	677	33.0	20.5	n/a
1991	597	31.5	18.9	n/a
1992	621	35.4	17.5	26.6
1993	619	31.8	19.5	3.9
1994	655	32.8	20.0	38.2
1995	701	36.2	19.4	50.5
1996	701	36.2	19.4	50.5
1997	657	36.6	18.0	37.1
1998	618	35.1	17.6	37.7
1999	611	35.0	17.5	51.1
2000	621	38.0	16.3	55.7
2001	600	37.5	16.0	n/a
2002	568	36.3	15.6	61.6
2003	568	36.3	15.6	61.6
2004	547	39.1	14.0	58.3
2005	563	32.6	17.3	n/a
2006	609	30.1	20.2	49.6
2007	461	28.0	16.5	59.4
2008	442	31.4	14.1	59.7
2009	438	35.4	13.9	61.6
2010	461	34.3	13.4	55.1
2011	464	31.2	14.8	75.4
2012	476	34.2	13.9	72.7
2013	453	35.0	12.9	67.1
2014	466	35.5	13.1	71.5
2015	478	31.0	15.4	71.5
2016	461	35.0	13.1	74.2
2017	445	33.9	13.1	77.3
2018	424	34.4	12.3	75.7
2019	397	36.2	10.9	69
2020	406	35.7	11.3	69.7
2021	398	33.2	11.9	73.9
2022	430	36.4	11.8	66.3
2023	410	38.4	10.6	67.8
2024	439	39.0	11.2	65.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Forest School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	621	30.0	20.7	n/a
1989	615	33.0	18.6	n/a
1990	677	33.0	20.5	n/a
1991	597	31.5	18.9	n/a
1992	621	35.4	17.5	26.6
1993	619	31.8	19.5	3.9
1994	655	32.8	20.0	38.2
1995	701	36.2	19.4	50.5
1996	701	36.2	19.4	50.5
1997	657	36.6	18.0	37.1
1998	618	35.1	17.6	37.7
1999	611	35.0	17.5	51.1
2000	621	38.0	16.3	55.7
2001	600	37.5	16.0	n/a
2002	568	36.3	15.6	61.6
2003	568	36.3	15.6	61.6
2004	547	39.1	14.0	58.3
2005	563	32.6	17.3	n/a
2006	609	30.1	20.2	49.6
2007	461	28.0	16.5	59.4
2008	442	31.4	14.1	59.7
2009	438	35.4	13.9	61.6
2010	461	34.3	13.4	55.1
2011	464	31.2	14.8	75.4
2012	476	34.2	13.9	72.7
2013	453	35.0	12.9	67.1
2014	466	35.5	13.1	71.5
2015	478	31.0	15.4	71.5
2016	461	35.0	13.1	74.2
2017	445	33.9	13.1	77.3
2018	424	34.4	12.3	75.7
2019	397	36.2	10.9	69
2020	406	35.7	11.3	69.7
2021	398	33.2	11.9	73.9
2022	430	36.4	11.8	66.3
2023	410	38.4	10.6	67.8
2024	439	39.0	11.2	65.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Forest School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$16,458
2019	$17,191
2020	$16,956
2021	$19,145
2022	$20,773
2023	$18,872

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Forest School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 398^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 376^th of 491 Elementary schools	0.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Forest School)	29.5	23	6.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Haven School District)	45.5	35.3	10.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Forest School)	43.6	32.4	11.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Haven School District)	46.5	40.9	5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Forest School)	37.7	28.6	9.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Haven School District)	50.8	39.1	11.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Forest School)	50.7	33.8	16.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Haven School District)	51.2	45.9	5.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	397	410	3.3%
African American	88	120	36.4%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	17	11	35.3%
Hispanic	197	197
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	66	59	10.6%
Two or More Races	28	22	21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	69%	67.8%	1.2%

Schools Near Forest School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)		SBAC English Language Arts (2024)						SBAC Mathematics (2024)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Forest School	Public	PK, KG-4	95 Burwell Rd.	West Haven	06516	New Haven County	West Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 931-6800	439	39	11.2	65.8%	66 (15.0%)	124 (28.2%)	208 (47.4%)	14 (3.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.5%)	28.5	334^th of 497 public elementary schools	32.8%		17.6	376^th of 491 public elementary schools	23.4%	42			25.6	42.3						45.5					$18,872
Barnard Environmental Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	170 Derby Ave.	New Haven	06511	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-3500	501	32	15.5	76.2%	56 (11.2%)	179 (35.7%)	159 (31.7%)	77 (15.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.6%)	6.3	475^th of 497 public elementary schools	4.4%					(n/a)	15.1	27.7		11.1	22.6	22.5	30.4	27.7		9.5					$20,118
Edgewood School	Public	K-8	737 Edgewood Ave.	New Haven	06515	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(475) 220-8000	407	27	15.0	61.9%	93 (22.9%)	177 (43.5%)	87 (21.4%)	12 (2.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.8%)	14.3	399^th of 497 public elementary schools	19.7%		14.8	394^th of 491 public elementary schools	19.8%	5	23.9	34.1		36.2	19.6				21.4	32.6					$18,678
Truman School	Public	PK, KG-8	114 Truman St.	New Haven	06519	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-2100	462	38	12.1	82.9%	14 (3.0%)	40 (8.7%)	373 (80.7%)	23 (5.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.9%)	7.2	462^nd of 497 public elementary schools	7.0%		5.4	477^th of 491 public elementary schools	2.9%	15	16.7	17.4		11.9	11.1		12.3	18.8			24.1				$18,204
John C. Daniels	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	569 Congress Ave.	New Haven	06519	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-3600	513	38	13.5	69.4%	31 (6.0%)	53 (10.3%)	410 (79.9%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	8	455^th of 497 public elementary schools	8.5%		9.3	440^th of 491 public elementary schools	10.4%	15	20.8	11.8	18.4		26.4	18.9			22.4	12.0	11.3		14.0		$20,788
Augusta Lewis Troup School	Public	PK, KG-8	259 Edgewood Ave.	New Haven	06511	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-3000	393	25	15.6	91.3%	18 (4.6%)	199 (50.6%)	132 (33.6%)	19 (4.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.9%)								(n/a)						14.6	20.0								$17,932
Hill Central Music Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	140 Dewitt St.	New Haven	06519	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-6100	413	31	13.3	89.1%	17 (4.1%)	63 (15.3%)	315 (76.3%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)								(n/a)	17.5				17.1			12.5							$19,819
Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy for Global Awareness	Public	K-8	360 Columbus Avenue	New Haven	06519	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-7600	406	35	11.4	88.7%	33 (8.1%)	88 (21.7%)	204 (50.2%)	61 (15.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.7%)								(n/a)								17.6							$19,696
Race Brook School	Public	1-6	107 Grannis Rd.	Orange	06477	New Haven County	Orange School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 891-8030	383	34	11.1	14.4%	260 (67.9%)	17 (4.4%)	40 (10.4%)	51 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	79.2	118^th of 497 public elementary schools	76.3%		70.2	164^th of 491 public elementary schools	66.6%	46	68.4		69.5	70.6	71.9	67.1			70.7	71.6	56.1	63.4			$18,566
Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	191 Fountain St.	New Haven	06515	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-2800	502	40	12.4	68.7%	65 (12.9%)	255 (50.8%)	131 (26.1%)	25 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.0%)	30.5	322^nd of 497 public elementary schools	35.2%		21.9	357^th of 491 public elementary schools	27.3%	35			42.0	36.7	63.5	21.4	40.7	53.1	44.0	36.2	32.7	14.6	30.5	18.4	$19,721

Forest School

Forest School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

West Haven School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Forest School

Rank History for all students at Forest School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Forest School

Rank History for Special Education students at Forest School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forest School

Rank History for Female students at Forest School

Rank History for Male students at Forest School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Forest School

Enrollment information for Forest School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Forest School

Student/Teacher Ratio Forest School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Forest School

Impact of COVID-19 on Forest School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Forest School

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest School

Rate Forest School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!