Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

James A. Forrest Elementary

Q: Is James A. Forrest Elementary a good school?

James A. Forrest Elementary ranks 4222 nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

4222^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of California elementary schools

Summary

James A. Forrest Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 576 students in Wasco, California, operating within the Wasco Union Elementary district, where academic performance is generally below state averages.

The school presents a mixed picture with some notable strengths, particularly in mathematics where it outperforms other schools in its own district, and a dramatic, successful reduction in chronic absenteeism, now the lowest among local peers. However, it faces significant challenges, especially in science proficiency, which is the lowest among nearby schools, and its overall state ranking has declined. It spends more per student than other district schools but also has larger class sizes, raising questions about how those resources are allocated.

When compared to other area schools like Maple Elementary, which serves a less economically disadvantaged population and achieves higher academic outcomes, it's clear that community factors are influential but not deterministic. Forrest Elementary has shown historical effectiveness in supporting English Language Learners and Special Education students, indicating a capacity for targeted support that could be a foundation for broader improvement.

576

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,271

Per pupil spending ?

89.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 North Griffith Ave.
Wasco, CA 93280

(661) 758-7490

District: Wasco Union Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.7%

White:

1.7%

African American:

0.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare James A. Forrest Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 32nd percentile in 2022 → 28th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (27% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Science scores 22 pts below the California average

!Near the bottom of Wasco Union Elementary's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg26%

California avg41%

4,222^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 4 pts since 2022

From bottom 32% (2022) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Wasco Union Elementary

1250^th of 1,543Wasco Union Elementary among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.0	4222 of 5857	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	4198 of 5869	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.4	3942 of 5859	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.4	3994 of 5883	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	36.6	2063 of 3162	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	1650 of 3245	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.7	1217 of 3311	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	4104 of 5597	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	4201 of 5612	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.6	3695 of 5609	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.2	3905 of 5635	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.9	3254 of 5107	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.9	3196 of 5107	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.7	2928 of 5087	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.6	2854 of 5084	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.4	3796 of 5460	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.0	3703 of 5517	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.0	3388 of 5363	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	3063 of 5264	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	4030 of 5628	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	3849 of 5643	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.9	3870 of 5638	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.0	3786 of 5663	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	47.0	988 of 2420	59.2%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2023)59th percentile+26 vs school

Hispanic (2025)36th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)35th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)30th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)28th percentile~ school

Female (2025)27th percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy33%-15 vs state

Mathematics27%-11 vs state

Science11%-22 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate James A. Forrest Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate James A. Forrest Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near James A. Forrest Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James A. Forrest Elementary	Public	K-5	401 North Griffith Ave.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Wasco Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 758-7490	576	24	24.0	89.4%	10 (1.7%)	5 (0.9%)	557 (96.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27	4222^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	27.9%		27	4198^th of 5869 public elementary schools	28.5%	24	10.8		10.8	41.0	30.2	29.3				33.5	49.4	18.6	12.2				26.7	96.8	96.8				96.8	$17,271	$15,920	$1,351
Karl F. Clemens Elementary	Public	K-5	600 Griffith Ave.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Wasco Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 758-7120	551	26	21.1	95.5%	13 (2.4%)	4 (0.7%)	531 (96.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11.5	5534^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.5%		12.6	5516^th of 5869 public elementary schools	6.0%	18	7.7		7.7	28.1	21.8	16.2				21.4	24.4	10.1	4.3				12.0	96.9			96.9			$16,690	$15,336	$1,354
John L. Prueitt Elementary	Public	K-5	3501 Seventh St.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Wasco Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 758-7180	621	29	21.4	89.0%	9 (1.4%)	6 (1.0%)	593 (95.5%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	31.6	3833^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	34.6%		36.4	3410^th of 5869 public elementary schools	41.9%	423	22.3		22.3	46.2	33.0	39.6				39.6	41.1	15.7	13.9				23.7							$15,874	$14,534	$1,340
Teresa Burke Elementary	Public	K-5	1301 Filburn St.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Wasco Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 758-7480	503	25	20.1	93.0%	10 (2.0%)	7 (1.4%)	477 (94.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	29.8	3980^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.0%		29	4020^th of 5869 public elementary schools	31.5%	40	17.7		17.7	35.7	42.9	28.6				35.3	40.5	32.4	11.8				27.9	95.8			95.8			$19,326	$17,976	$1,350
Maple Elementary	Public	K-8	29161 Fresno Ave.	Shafter	93263	Kern County	Maple Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 746-4439	287	12	24.0	60.3%	58 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	226 (78.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64	1884^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.8%		57.4	2177^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.9%	293	39.3	46.7	43.1	42.9	35.5	64.3	73.3	58.1	63.3	56.2	25.0	54.8	46.4	70.0	45.2	56.7	50.0							$34,305	$32,950	$1,355
Horizon Elementary	Public	K-6	800 South Garzoli Ave.	Mc Farland	93250	Kern County	McFarland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-3081	542	21	26.4	87.8%	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	528 (97.4%)	11 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39.5	3256^th of 5857 public elementary schools	44.4%		43.4	2966^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.5%	290	11.4		11.4	33.3	39.0	35.4	47.6			39.2	53.6	42.9	22.8	31.0			36.9	77.1	80.7	89.2	90.4	80.7	86.8	$21,272	$18,828	$2,444
Sequoia Elementary	Public	K-6	500 East Fresno Ave.	Shafter	93263	Kern County	Richland Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 746-8740	534	32	16.4	89.3%	41 (7.7%)	1 (0.2%)	474 (88.8%)	17 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29.7	3986^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.9%		28.5	4072^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	30.6%	86	25.4		25.4	33.3	38.0	42.4	32.1			36.1	37.2	30.4	15.3	12.7			24.4	95.4				96.5		$19,651	$16,488	$3,163
Redwood Elementary	Public	K-6	331 North Shafter Ave.	Shafter	93263	Kern County	Richland Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 746-8650	601	30	20.0	91.8%	20 (3.3%)	3 (0.5%)	569 (94.7%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14.9	5271^st of 5857 public elementary schools	10.0%		17.7	5058^th of 5869 public elementary schools	13.8%	213	8.4		8.4	23.5	25.8	21.7	23.3			23.6	26.5	28.1	10.8	6.7			16.7							$24,490	$21,010	$3,480
Pond Elementary	Public	K-8	29585 Pond Rd.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Pond Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-2545	175	10	17.1	96.0%	8 (4.6%)	1 (0.6%)	160 (91.4%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	22.9	4602^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	21.4%		21.1	4757^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.9%	155	26.7	8.7	15.8	22.2	33.3	20.0	22.2	0.0	34.8	22.2	40.7	31.3	6.7	11.1	10.5	17.4	21.2	89.3					89.3	$44,403	$41,906	$2,497
Kern Avenue Elementary	Public	K-6	356 West Kern Ave.	Mc Farland	93250	Kern County	McFarland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-3033	700	28	25.0	82.7%	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	678 (96.9%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	19.7	4847^th of 5857 public elementary schools	17.2%		21.1	4765^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.8%	82	17.9		17.9	24.1	20.3	30.2	32.0			27.2	19.5	15.2	15.1	26.2			19.2	81.0	81.0	92.2	91.4	81.9	85.3	$19,724	$17,246	$2,478

Frequently Asked Questions about James A. Forrest Elementary

How many students attend James A. Forrest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 576 students attended James A. Forrest Elementary.

Is James A. Forrest Elementary a good school?

James A. Forrest Elementary ranks 4222^nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is James A. Forrest Elementary in?

Wasco Union Elementary

What is the racial makeup of James A. Forrest Elementary?

Students at James A. Forrest Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% White.

Rate James A. Forrest Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Wasco, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for James A. Forrest Elementary!

Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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