Is Forest Ridge Elementary a good school?

Forest Ridge Elementary ranks 409 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Forest Ridge Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 648 students attended Forest Ridge Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Ridge Elementary?

Students at Forest Ridge Elementary are 38% African American, 21% Hispanic, 19% Asian, 16% White, 6% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Forest Ridge Elementary attend?

Students who attend Forest Ridge Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Patuxent Valley Middle High : Hammond High

Forest Ridge Elementary

Summary:

Forest Ridge Elementary is a public elementary school in Laurel, Maryland, serving 648 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Forest Ridge Elementary has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 16.2% White, 37.5% African American, 20.68% Hispanic, 18.52% Asian, and 6.48% two or more races. This diversity is higher compared to some nearby schools like Hammond Elementary and Gorman Crossing Elementary. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by MCAP test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (30.3%) and English Language Arts (46.5%) were below the Howard County Public Schools (41.1% and 63%, respectively) and Maryland (24.1% and 48.4%, respectively) averages.

Forest Ridge Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 26.52% to 36.73% over the past three school years. This is higher than some nearby schools like Hammond Elementary (18.28%) and Gorman Crossing Elementary (20.46%). While the school's performance is generally lower than the district and state averages, it has maintained a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger and shows some variations in performance across different student subgroups. When compared to other nearby schools, Forest Ridge Elementary appears to be performing below some schools in the same district but outperforming some schools in other districts, such as Scotchtown Hills Elementary and Maryland City Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

9550 Gorman Rd
Laurel, MD 20723

(410) 880-5950

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
409^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,206

Students who attend Forest Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Patuxent Valley Middle
High:	Hammond High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 648

Racial breakdown:

African American:

37.5%

Hispanic:

20.7%

Asian:

18.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.7%

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Compare Forest Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Forest Ridge Elementary ranks better than 52.4% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 33^rd among 42 ranked elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.23. (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 Ridge Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (37.5%), Hispanic (20.7%), Asian (18.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Forest Ridge Elementary is 14.2. 34 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Forest Ridge Elementary employs 45.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Forest Ridge Elementary is $16,206. 35 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Forest Ridge Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Howard County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Howard County Public Schools 2^nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Forest Ridge Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	25.21	646^th	803	19.6%
2005	31.40	599^th	805	25.6%
2006	31.58	600^th	804	25.4%
2007	31.80	606^th	818	25.9%
2008	69.28	270^th	838	67.8%
2009	69.40	285^th	850	66.5%
2010	69.37	281^st	855	67.1%
2011	63.18	340^th	853	60.1%
2012	60.47	397^th	857	53.7%
2013	63.67	326^th	847	61.5%
2014	66.76	320^th	867	63.1%
2015	53.41	367^th	859	57.3%
2016	52.89	364^th	845	56.9%
2017	58.36	319^th	847	62.3%
2018	66.37	278^th	857	67.6%
2019	60.11	315^th	853	63.1%
2021	53.49	267^th	802	66.7%
2022	60.25	320^th	862	62.9%
2023	51.09	363^rd	855	57.5%
2024	46.23	409^th	859	52.4%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	63.56	91^st	546	83.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	54.93	244^th	796	69.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	47.77	296^th	788	62.4%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	16.26	113^th	128	11.7%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	48.59	185^th	504	63.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	42.08	144^th	347	58.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Forest Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	68.39	149^th	528	71.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland 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: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

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Enrollment information for Forest Ridge Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1993	457	48	38	11	1	n/a	n/a	555
1994	496	61	46	9	2	n/a	n/a	614
1995	521	93	48	9	1	n/a	n/a	672
1996	521	93	48	9	1	n/a	n/a	672
1997	543	89	53	13	0	n/a	n/a	698
1998	569	121	57	15	0	n/a	n/a	762
1999	425	140	67	17	0	n/a	n/a	649
2000	420	161	67	25	1	n/a	n/a	674
2001	395	183	77	36	1	n/a	n/a	692
2002	341	180	86	54	3	n/a	n/a	664
2003	341	180	86	54	3	n/a	n/a	664
2004	302	189	93	50	3	n/a	n/a	637
2005	254	207	91	45	3	n/a	n/a	600
2006	225	228	110	43	3	n/a	n/a	609
2007	212	227	117	45	2	n/a	n/a	603
2008	216	246	110	51	4	n/a	n/a	627
2009	215	253	109	52	4	n/a	n/a	633
2010	218	267	118	51	3	n/a	n/a	657
2011	176	268	121	84	3	0	47	699
2012	187	301	130	87	2	0	57	764
2013	201	250	138	80	1	1	47	718
2014	199	270	149	78	2	1	49	748
2015	183	232	167	87	2	4	46	721
2016	173	252	179	92	2	1	42	741
2017	156	242	170	81	2	2	50	703
2018	151	216	175	95	2	2	52	693
2019	142	234	158	92	1	1	51	679
2020	134	241	149	113	1	2	49	689
2021	111	243	142	112	0	4	51	663
2022	111	261	130	110	0	4	40	656
2023	105	243	120	134	0	4	42	648

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 Ridge Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	555	30.0	18.5	3.6
1994	614	32.5	18.9	5.4
1995	672	38.0	17.7	5.4
1996	672	38.0	17.7	5.4
1997	698	37.5	18.6	4.6
1998	762	40.5	18.8	4.1
1999	649	40.5	16.0	8.2
2000	674	34.0	19.8	9.1
2001	692	39.5	17.5	8.8
2002	664	39.7	16.7	11.1
2003	664	39.7	16.7	11.1
2004	637	38.0	16.8	12.1
2005	600	38.0	15.8	10.7
2006	609	40.0	15.2	9.5
2007	603	39.0	15.5	10.8
2008	627	41.5	15.1	14.5
2009	633	43.5	14.6	14.5
2010	657	46.7	14.0	16.7
2011	699	45.2	15.4	21.2
2012	764	48.2	15.8	23.8
2013	718	44.3	16.2	21.9
2014	748	48.2	15.5	23.9
2015	721	49.0	14.7	26.9
2016	741	51.0	14.5	27.3
2017	703	49.2	14.2	25.7
2018	693	51.6	13.4	25.5
2019	679	49.0	13.8	24.7
2020	689	46.0	14.9	24.1
2021	663	46.3	14.3	27.1
2022	656	46.3	14.1	26.5
2023	648	45.5	14.2	36.7

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 Ridge Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	555	30.0	18.5	3.6
1994	614	32.5	18.9	5.4
1995	672	38.0	17.7	5.4
1996	672	38.0	17.7	5.4
1997	698	37.5	18.6	4.6
1998	762	40.5	18.8	4.1
1999	649	40.5	16.0	8.2
2000	674	34.0	19.8	9.1
2001	692	39.5	17.5	8.8
2002	664	39.7	16.7	11.1
2003	664	39.7	16.7	11.1
2004	637	38.0	16.8	12.1
2005	600	38.0	15.8	10.7
2006	609	40.0	15.2	9.5
2007	603	39.0	15.5	10.8
2008	627	41.5	15.1	14.5
2009	633	43.5	14.6	14.5
2010	657	46.7	14.0	16.7
2011	699	45.2	15.4	21.2
2012	764	48.2	15.8	23.8
2013	718	44.3	16.2	21.9
2014	748	48.2	15.5	23.9
2015	721	49.0	14.7	26.9
2016	741	51.0	14.5	27.3
2017	703	49.2	14.2	25.7
2018	693	51.6	13.4	25.5
2019	679	49.0	13.8	24.7
2020	689	46.0	14.9	24.1
2021	663	46.3	14.3	27.1
2022	656	46.3	14.1	26.5
2023	648	45.5	14.2	36.7

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 Ridge Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$426 (3.4%)	$12,226 (96.6%)	$12,652
2020	$472 (3.5%)	$13,048 (96.5%)	$13,520
2021	$666 (4.5%)	$14,042 (95.5%)	$14,709
2022	$947 (5.8%)	$15,263 (94.2%)	$16,210
2023	$824 (5.1%)	$15,382 (94.9%)	$16,206

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Forest Ridge Elementary

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 315^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 363^rd of 855 Elementary schools	5.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	679	648	4.6%
African American	234	243	3.8%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	158	120	24.1%
Hispanic	92	134	45.7%
Pacific Islander	1	4	300%
White	142	105	26.1%
Two or More Races	51	42	17.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	24.7%	36.7%	12%

Schools Near Forest Ridge Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)				MCAP English Language Arts (2024)				MCAP Science (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	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Forest Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9550 Gorman Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5950	648	46	14.2	36.7%	105 (16.2%)	243 (37.5%)	134 (20.7%)	120 (18.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	42 (6.5%)	46.2	409^th of 859 public elementary schools	52.4%		51.1	363^rd of 855 public elementary schools	57.5%	46	34.6	31.1	24.7	30.3	52.0	39.3	49.5	46.5	21.1	$16,206	$824	$15,382
Bollman Bridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8200 Savage-Guilford Road	Jessup	20794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 880-5920	742	59	12.5	53.5%	162 (21.8%)	278 (37.5%)	204 (27.5%)	56 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.7%)	33.7	500^th of 859 public elementary schools	41.8%		37.6	481^st of 855 public elementary schools	43.7%	19	40.4	24.1	25.2	29.3	38.7	32.7	27.8	32.8	16.8	$18,219	$1,599	$16,620
Laurel Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9250 N Laurel Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 880-5960	662	56	11.8	61.6%	45 (6.8%)	293 (44.3%)	234 (35.3%)	59 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (4.5%)	31	529^th of 859 public elementary schools	38.4%		35.8	499^th of 855 public elementary schools	41.6%	30	30.7	19.8	30.7	26.8	29.3	31.1	37.8	32.3	14.9	$18,220	$1,704	$16,516
Gorman Crossing Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9999 Winter Sun Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5900	743	57	13.1	20.5%	132 (17.8%)	284 (38.2%)	92 (12.4%)	198 (26.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (4.7%)	78.3	179^th of 859 public elementary schools	79.2%		76.2	196^th of 855 public elementary schools	77.1%	17	66.7	46.5	39.8	50.7	67.3	62.4	65.3	64.9	33.1	$15,872	$712	$15,161
Laurel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	516 Montgomery St	Laurel	20707	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 497-3660	566	43	13.0	84.5%	23 (4.1%)	176 (31.1%)	349 (61.7%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.4%)	23.2	606^th of 859 public elementary schools	29.5%		25.8	580^th of 855 public elementary schools	32.2%	26	26.2	6.6	8.7	12.9	41.3	35.2	32.3	36.1	10.3	$19,499	$2,269	$17,230
Hammond Elementary	Public	K-5	8110 Aladdin Dr	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5890	651	42	15.3	18.3%	293 (45.0%)	146 (22.4%)	61 (9.4%)	95 (14.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.3%)	80.2	165^th of 859 public elementary schools	80.8%		87.1	105^th of 855 public elementary schools	87.7%	60	57.0	45.7	52.4	51.7	61.9	56.7	66.7	61.7	44.1	$15,353	$722	$14,631
Guilford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7335 Oakland Mills Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 880-5930	478	43	11.2	56.5%	67 (14.0%)	234 (49.0%)	86 (18.0%)	65 (13.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	43.3	435^th of 859 public elementary schools	49.4%		40.7	450^th of 855 public elementary schools	47.4%	15	32.1	30.1	23.5	28.5	51.9	54.2	36.7	47.4	14.6	$21,037	$1,443	$19,594
Scotchtown Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15950 Dorset Rd	Laurel	20707	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 497-3994	612	40	15.1	76.0%	28 (4.6%)	228 (37.3%)	304 (49.7%)	22 (3.6%)	10 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	18 (2.9%)	13.5	752^nd of 859 public elementary schools	12.5%		16.1	715^th of 855 public elementary schools	16.4%	37	12.0	7.7	14.5	11.4	20.9	19.2	23.0	21.0	9.5	$18,600	$1,682	$16,918
Maryland City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3359 Crumpton South	Laurel	20724	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 725-4256	436	35	12.3	84.4%	13 (3.0%)	176 (40.4%)	226 (51.8%)	8 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.8%)	19.4	661^st of 859 public elementary schools	23.1%		19.3	663^rd of 855 public elementary schools	22.5%	2	18.3	15.6		12.7	24.6	35.5	25.4	28.4	9.8	$19,122	$2,496	$16,625
Brock Bridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Brock Bridge Rd	Laurel	20724	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 498-6280	472	36	13.1	76.1%	27 (5.7%)	174 (36.9%)	224 (47.5%)	21 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.1%)	21.9	624^th of 859 public elementary schools	27.4%		24.2	606^th of 855 public elementary schools	29.1%	18	16.4	11.1	11.6	12.9	26.8	40.6	28.7	31.6	16.0	$19,752	$2,405	$17,347

Forest Ridge Elementary

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Rank History for Forest Ridge Elementary

Rank History for all students at Forest Ridge Elementary

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Enrollment information for Forest Ridge Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Forest Ridge Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Forest Ridge Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Forest Ridge Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Forest Ridge Elementary

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Student Body

Schools Near Forest Ridge Elementary

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