Is Park Forest Elementary School a good school?

Park Forest Elementary School ranks 180 th of 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Park Forest Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 430 students attended Park Forest Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Park Forest Elementary School?

Students at Park Forest Elementary School are 76% White, 9% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Park Forest Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Park Forest Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Park Forest Middle School High : State College Area High School

Park Forest Elementary School

Summary:

Park Forest Elementary School is a public elementary school in State College, Pennsylvania, serving 430 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the State College Area School District, which is ranked 49th out of 606 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Park Forest Elementary consistently ranks in the top 20% of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with significantly higher PSSA test scores than the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. In 2022-2023, the school had 73.1% of students proficient or better in Math, compared to the state average of 39.3%, and 97.5% proficiency in Science, compared to the state's 65.6%. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd and 4th grade PSSA tests, with over 80% proficiency in Math and English Language Arts.

While Mount Nittany Elementary and Spring Creek Elementary have student populations that are predominantly White, Park Forest Elementary has a more diverse student body, with 76.28% White, 3.49% African American, 5.12% Hispanic, and 6.51% Asian students. Additionally, the school has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (19.3%) compared to the state average and nearby schools like Easterly Parkway Elementary (37.34%) and Port Matilda Elementary (41%), indicating a relatively affluent student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

2181 School Dr
State College, PA 16803-1131

(814) 231-5010

District: State College Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
180^th of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,639

Students who attend Park Forest Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Park Forest Middle School
High:	State College Area High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 430

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.3%

Two or more races:

8.6%

Asian:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 19.3%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Park Forest Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Park Forest Elementary School ranks better than 88.3% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 4^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the State College Area School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.64. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Park Forest Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the State College Area School District. Racial makeup is: White (76.3%), two or more races (8.6%), Asian (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 19.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Park Forest Elementary School is 14.1, which is the highest among 8 elementary schools in the State College Area School District! (See more...)

Compare Park Forest Elementary School employs 30.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Park Forest Elementary School is $20,639, which is the 3^rd highest among 8 elementary schools in the State College Area School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Park Forest Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Park Forest Elementary School 180^th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Park Forest Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

State College Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks State College Area School District 49^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Park Forest Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Park Forest Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Park Forest Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	57.66	647^th	1302	50.3%
2004	68.70	457^th	1308	65.1%
2005	83.30	112^th	1299	91.4%
2006	59.20	728^th	1545	52.9%
2007	74.84	369^th	1555	76.3%
2008	65.00	619^th	1551	60.1%
2009	65.85	592^nd	1549	61.8%
2010	69.76	506^th	1579	68.0%
2011	67.03	598^th	1597	62.6%
2012	74.35	409^th	1599	74.4%
2013	72.70	429^th	1519	71.8%
2014	73.46	404^th	1467	72.5%
2015	76.07	345^th	1474	76.6%
2016	73.58	414^th	1554	73.4%
2017	68.23	544^th	1547	64.8%
2018	70.55	489^th	1530	68.0%
2019	75.88	391^st	1544	74.7%
2021	78.03	294^th	1433	79.5%
2022	79.16	303^rd	1534	80.2%
2023	85.64	180^th	1534	88.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Park Forest Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	81.09	176^th	1414	87.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Park Forest Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	77.10	244^th	1236	80.3%

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

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept 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: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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

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

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Park Forest Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	620	9	22	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	660
1989	581	15	23	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	624
1990	566	18	19	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	612
1991	583	13	22	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	628
1992	636	13	16	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	675
1993	643	17	26	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	693
1994	644	18	21	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	694
1995	505	13	23	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	554
1996	505	13	23	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	554
1997	489	18	26	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	543
1998	502	27	30	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
1999	497	16	23	42	0	n/a	n/a	0	578
2000	562	14	28	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	617
2001	541	11	28	20	3	n/a	n/a	0	603
2002	363	6	36	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	425
2003	363	6	36	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	425
2004	329	10	45	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	402
2005	360	12	25	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	407
2006	400	17	27	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
2007	390	23	32	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	456
2008	395	17	34	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	460
2009	400	11	38	11	3	n/a	n/a	13	476
2010	399	14	32	12	1	n/a	n/a	16	474
2011	417	12	34	11	1	0	23	0	498
2012	400	12	39	15	0	0	21	0	487
2013	387	14	42	18	0	0	27	0	488
2014	366	14	37	23	0	1	34	0	475
2015	360	16	36	22	0	2	40	0	476
2016	369	13	35	24	0	2	47	0	490
2017	367	12	33	30	0	4	51	0	497
2018	361	24	33	34	0	2	55	0	509
2019	350	18	44	23	0	1	51	0	487
2020	371	15	25	27	0	1	44	0	483
2021	357	18	24	22	0	0	40	0	461
2022	325	22	30	18	0	0	33	0	428
2023	328	15	28	22	0	0	37	0	430

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 Park Forest Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	660	34.2	19.2	n/a
1989	624	37.0	16.8	n/a
1990	612	33.4	18.3	0
1991	628	36.2	17.3	n/a
1992	675	38.5	17.5	n/a
1993	693	34.5	20.1	n/a
1994	694	38.9	17.8	n/a
1995	554	32.8	16.9	n/a
1996	554	32.8	16.9	n/a
1997	543	32.8	16.6	n/a
1998	573	35.3	16.2	n/a
1999	578	36.8	15.7	n/a
2000	617	37.0	16.7	21.1
2001	603	39.0	15.5	16.9
2002	425	30.5	13.9	18.6
2003	425	30.5	13.9	18.6
2004	402	27.2	14.8	22.9
2005	407	27.4	14.9	19.4
2006	447	31.2	14.3	19.9
2007	456	32.7	13.9	16.7
2008	460	34.2	13.5	20.4
2009	476	35.4	13.4	19.2
2010	474	35.1	13.5	21.2
2011	498	36.1	13.7	20.9
2012	487	37.7	12.9	14.6
2013	488	36.5	13.3	20.9
2014	475	33.7	14.0	18.9
2015	476	34.0	14.0	16.2
2016	490	34.0	14.4	23.1
2017	497	33.8	14.6	19.1
2018	509	34.9	14.5	18.1
2019	487	35.4	13.7	17.7
2020	483	35.1	13.7	17.4
2021	461	33.1	13.9	15.6
2022	428	33.4	12.8	16.4
2023	430	30.3	14.1	19.3

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 Park Forest Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	660	34.2	19.2	n/a
1989	624	37.0	16.8	n/a
1990	612	33.4	18.3	0
1991	628	36.2	17.3	n/a
1992	675	38.5	17.5	n/a
1993	693	34.5	20.1	n/a
1994	694	38.9	17.8	n/a
1995	554	32.8	16.9	n/a
1996	554	32.8	16.9	n/a
1997	543	32.8	16.6	n/a
1998	573	35.3	16.2	n/a
1999	578	36.8	15.7	n/a
2000	617	37.0	16.7	21.1
2001	603	39.0	15.5	16.9
2002	425	30.5	13.9	18.6
2003	425	30.5	13.9	18.6
2004	402	27.2	14.8	22.9
2005	407	27.4	14.9	19.4
2006	447	31.2	14.3	19.9
2007	456	32.7	13.9	16.7
2008	460	34.2	13.5	20.4
2009	476	35.4	13.4	19.2
2010	474	35.1	13.5	21.2
2011	498	36.1	13.7	20.9
2012	487	37.7	12.9	14.6
2013	488	36.5	13.3	20.9
2014	475	33.7	14.0	18.9
2015	476	34.0	14.0	16.2
2016	490	34.0	14.4	23.1
2017	497	33.8	14.6	19.1
2018	509	34.9	14.5	18.1
2019	487	35.4	13.7	17.7
2020	483	35.1	13.7	17.4
2021	461	33.1	13.9	15.6
2022	428	33.4	12.8	16.4
2023	430	30.3	14.1	19.3

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 Park Forest Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$462 (2.6%)	$17,368 (97.4%)	$17,830
2020	$638 (3.6%)	$16,973 (96.4%)	$17,610
2021	$1,107 (5.8%)	$17,866 (94.2%)	$18,973
2022	$788 (3.8%)	$19,851 (96.2%)	$20,639

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Park Forest Elementary 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 391^st of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 180^th of 1534 Elementary schools	13.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Park Forest Elementary School)	80.3	88.5	8.2%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Park Forest Elementary School)	80	72.9	7.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (Park Forest Elementary School)	69.6	80	10.4%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (Park Forest Elementary School)	89.7	97.5	7.8%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Park Forest Elementary School)	75.6	73.4	2.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
5th Grade Math (Park Forest Elementary School)	45.1	49.2	4.1%
5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	43	42.7	0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Park Forest Elementary School)	66.1	76.5	10.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	58.5	53.6	4.9%
All Grades Math (Park Forest Elementary School)	67.3	73.1	5.8%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Park Forest Elementary School)	89.7	97.5	7.8%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Park Forest Elementary School)	74.8	74.2	0.6%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	487	430	11.7%
African American	18	15	16.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	44	28	36.4%
Hispanic	23	22	4.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	350	328	6.3%
Two or More Races	51	37	27.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	17.7%	19.3%	1.6%

Schools Near Park Forest Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				PSSA Math (2023)							PSSA Science (2023)			PSSA English Language Arts (2023)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Park Forest Elementary School	Public	K-5	2181 School Dr	State College	16803	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 231-5010	430	30	14.1	19.3%	328 (76.3%)	15 (3.5%)	22 (5.1%)	28 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.6%)	85.6	180^th of 1534 public elementary schools	88.3%		79.2	303^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	80.2%	123	88.5	80.0	49.2				73.1	97.5		97.5	72.9	73.4	76.5				74.2	$20,639	$788	$19,851
Gray's Woods Elementary School	Public	K-5	160 Brackenbourne Drive	Port Matilda	16870	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 235-6100	369	26	14.0	11.9%	330 (89.4%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.6%)	14 (3.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	74.5	395^th of 1534 public elementary schools	74.3%		81.5	262^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	82.9%	133	60.3	64.3	72.1				65.8	91.1		91.1	48.4	61.4	79.4				63.7	$18,489	$608	$17,881
Radio Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 W Cherry Ln	State College	16803	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 231-4115	396	30	13.0	15.7%	250 (63.1%)	7 (1.8%)	13 (3.3%)	98 (24.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.8%)	87.3	151^st of 1534 public elementary schools	90.2%		90.8	81^st of 1534 public elementary schools	94.7%	70	69.4	76.3	76.1				74.4	93.4		93.4	67.3	77.3	84.1				77.0	$18,620	$621	$18,000
Corl Street Elementary School	Public	K-5	235 Corl St	State College	16801	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 231-1185	239	19	12.3	18.0%	185 (77.4%)	3 (1.3%)	5 (2.1%)	27 (11.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.5%)	87.7	141^st of 1534 public elementary schools	90.8%		89.8	100^th of 1534 public elementary schools	93.5%	41	76.1	79.0	72.3				76.0	97.7		97.7	66.0	81.4	82.8				76.0	$19,677	$620	$19,057
Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1530 Westerly Parkway	State College	16801	Centre County	Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(814) 237-9727	371	35	10.6	42.3%	238 (64.2%)	54 (14.6%)	26 (7.0%)	18 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	33 (8.9%)	60.6	686^th of 1534 public elementary schools	55.3%		65.2	583^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	62.0%	103	45.8	60.6	29.1	53.6	47.1	37.6	46.3	75.8	62.5	71.4	58.4	63.7	48.3	82.7	64.7	56.3	62.4	$18,554	$616	$17,938
Easterly Parkway Elementary School	Public	K-5	234 Easterly Pkwy	State College	16801	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 231-1170	316	27	11.5	37.3%	195 (61.7%)	31 (9.8%)	24 (7.6%)	36 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.5%)	69.1	514^th of 1534 public elementary schools	66.5%		73	432^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	71.8%	82	55.8	60.8	57.4				58.0	76.1		76.1	58.1	67.4	68.1				64.6	$21,672	$1,465	$20,207
Nittany Valley Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	1612 Norma St	State College	16801	Centre County	Nittany Valley Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(814) 867-3842	49	5	9.1		47 (95.9%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							28.0										72.0	$17,620	$377	$17,243
Spring Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	217 Scholl St	State College	16801	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 231-5026	369	27	13.7	19.8%	300 (81.3%)	7 (1.9%)	15 (4.1%)	15 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.7%)	85.2	186^th of 1534 public elementary schools	87.9%		83.9	224^th of 1534 public elementary schools	85.4%	38	68.9	71.7	73.1				71.0	95.5		95.5	68.8	76.5	78.0				74.1	$19,208	$961	$18,247
Ferguson Township Elementary School	Public	K-5	215 West Pine Grove Rd	Pine Grove Mills	16868	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 231-4119	312	26	12.1	11.9%	255 (81.7%)	2 (0.6%)	7 (2.2%)	33 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	91	74^th of 1534 public elementary schools	95.2%		91.3	73^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	95.2%	1	81.4	80.0	80.4				80.7	95.5		95.5	81.5	76.1	80.4				79.5	$20,647	$623	$20,024
Mount Nittany Elementary School	Public	K-5	700 Brandywine Drive	State College	16801	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 272-5970	430	32	13.3	20.5%	343 (79.8%)	10 (2.3%)	12 (2.8%)	31 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.9%)	82.2	237^th of 1534 public elementary schools	84.6%		77	344^th of 1534 public elementary schools	77.6%	107	71.9	67.7	66.7				68.6	89.2		89.2	71.9	67.7	72.5				70.6	$19,871	$1,112	$18,759

Park Forest Elementary School

Park Forest Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

State College Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Park Forest Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Park Forest Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Park Forest Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Park Forest Elementary School

Enrollment information for Park Forest Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Park Forest Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Park Forest Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Park Forest Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Park Forest Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Park Forest Elementary School