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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:
334th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,872 Help


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:  10.6 Help
Number of students:  410

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.0%
African American:
29.3%
White:
14.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  67.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Forest School ranks worse than 67.2% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the West Haven School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.54. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Forest School has the largest elementary school student body size in the West Haven School District.  (See more...)
Teachers
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Forest School is $18,872, which is the 2nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the West Haven School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Forest School:

SchoolDigger ranks Forest School 334th 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 124th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Forest School

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Rank History for all students at Forest School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 34.28 432nd 570 24.2%
2007 30.18 450th 568 20.8%
2008 45.84 383rd 565 32.2%
2009 42.99 406th 566 28.3%
2010 40.26 424th 579 26.8%
2011 36.14 428th 565 24.2%
2012 22.22 472nd 564 16.3%
2013 15.24 491st 557 11.8%
2015 38.77 368th 551 33.2%
2016 30.74 353rd 518 31.9%
2017 40.35 310th 519 40.3%
2018 21.04 413th 532 22.4%
2019 24.61 398th 522 23.8%
2021 21.07 415th 538 22.9%
2022 17.34 377th 490 23.1%
2023 17.63 376th 491 23.4%
2024 28.54 334th 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 2nd 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 219th 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 153rd 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 372nd 455 18.2%
2023 11.02 206th 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 352nd 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 SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.55 43rd 101 57.4%
2021 59.12 58th 173 66.5%
2022 43.23 55th 99 44.4%
2024 44.56 55th 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.

Forest School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Forest School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 395 170 20 34 2 n/a n/a 0 621
1989 403 163 10 39 0 n/a n/a 0 615
1990 433 183 23 38 n/a n/a n/a 0 677
1991 396 151 16 34 0 n/a n/a 0 597
1992 406 158 8 49 0 n/a n/a 0 621
1993 413 164 7 35 0 n/a n/a 0 619
1994 402 188 10 54 1 n/a n/a 0 655
1995 377 229 7 85 3 n/a n/a 0 701
1996 377 229 7 85 3 n/a n/a 0 701
1997 329 216 8 101 3 n/a n/a 0 657
1998 304 204 6 103 1 n/a n/a 0 618
1999 284 205 9 112 1 n/a n/a 0 611
2000 272 223 9 116 1 n/a n/a 0 621
2001 263 213 8 114 2 n/a n/a 0 600
2002 212 220 10 126 0 n/a n/a 0 568
2003 212 220 10 126 0 n/a n/a 0 568
2004 195 207 13 132 0 n/a n/a 0 547
2005 190 215 17 141 0 n/a n/a 0 563
2006 209 215 26 159 0 n/a n/a 0 609
2007 137 166 18 140 0 n/a n/a 0 461
2008 118 162 14 147 1 n/a n/a 0 442
2009 113 152 17 154 2 n/a n/a 0 438
2010 125 149 18 169 0 n/a n/a 0 461
2011 106 128 21 189 0 0 20 0 464
2012 107 135 23 190 0 0 21 0 476
2013 95 127 19 196 0 0 16 0 453
2014 83 136 17 205 0 0 25 0 466
2015 91 126 18 215 1 0 27 0 478
2016 89 123 16 205 1 0 27 0 461
2017 78 115 20 209 1 0 22 0 445
2018 63 115 18 197 2 0 29 0 424
2019 66 88 17 197 1 0 28 0 397
2020 64 102 18 196 0 0 26 0 406
2021 58 108 17 188 0 0 27 0 398
2022 60 118 20 204 0 1 27 0 430
2023 59 120 11 197 0 1 22 0 410

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

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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

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

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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

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

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YearTotal 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 398th of 522 Elementary schoolsRanks 376th 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)29.523
 6.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Haven School District)45.535.3
 10.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)54.345.5
 8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Forest School)43.632.4
 11.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (West Haven School District)46.540.9
 5.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)5549.8
 5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Forest School)37.728.6
 9.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (West Haven School District)50.839.1
 11.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)54.648.8
 5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Forest School)50.733.8
 16.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (West Haven School District)51.245.9
 5.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)52.548.3
 4.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students397410
 3.3%
African American88120
 36.4%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian1711
 35.3%
Hispanic197197
Pacific Islander01
White6659
 10.6%
Two or More Races2822
 21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients69%67.8%
 1.2%

Schools Near Forest School








Frequently Asked Questions about Forest School

In the 2022-23 school year, 410 students attended Forest School.

Students at Forest School are 48% Hispanic, 29% African American, 14% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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