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Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

Forest Charter

Q: Is Forest Charter a good school?

Forest Charter ranks 4122 nd of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

4122^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 30% of California alternative schools

Summary

Forest Charter is a K-12 alternative public school serving 845 students in Nevada City, California, operating under the Nevada County Office of Education.

The school stands out for its exceptional success in keeping students engaged and on track to graduate. It boasts a graduation rate of 87.8%, which matches the state average and far exceeds its district's rate, and has a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.2%. This is a significant achievement, especially considering the school serves a population with a higher-than-average need for free or reduced-price lunch. While academic proficiency in English, math, and science generally lags behind state averages, performance in English Language Arts shows strong improvement as students progress through the grades.

Compared to other local charter options like Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy and Vantage Point Charter, Forest Charter offers a more balanced and consistent educational experience with better graduation and attendance outcomes. It achieves these results with the lowest per-student spending among the three schools, indicating efficient use of resources. For parents seeking an alternative education model that prioritizes student persistence, attendance, and graduation, Forest Charter presents a compelling and stable option.

845

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,570

Per pupil spending ?

44.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

470 Searls Ave.
Nevada City, CA 95959-3030

(530) 265-4823

District: Nevada County Office of Education

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.0%

Hispanic:

12.3%

Two or more races:

6.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Forest Charter to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2022 → 52nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (33% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 27 percentile points since 2022

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg32%

California avg41%

Elementary school

4,122^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 45% (2015) to bottom 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,402^nd of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to bottom 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

1,038^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.2	4122 of 5857	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.3	3344 of 5869	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.1	2526 of 5859	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.5	2513 of 5883	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.4	3041 of 5789	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.2	3017 of 5662	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.4	2524 of 5692	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.0	2773 of 5614	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	38.4	3108 of 5611	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	26.4	4215 of 5390	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.1	4253 of 5377	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	24.0	4300 of 5314	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	40.0	3053 of 5193	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.6	4200 of 5597	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.3	3244 of 5612	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.7	2219 of 5609	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	2585 of 5635	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	2672 of 5492	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.8	3036 of 5413	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	4146 of 5460	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.3	3922 of 5517	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.6	2719 of 5363	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.7	3356 of 5264	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.5	1865 of 5173	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.3	3676 of 5084	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.9	3552 of 5628	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.1	3059 of 5643	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.8	2629 of 5638	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	2306 of 5663	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.9	3332 of 5510	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	2945 of 5431	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.2	1696 of 2847	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.1	2382 of 2598	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	2194 of 2651	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.3	2026 of 2661	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.2	2197 of 2726	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	2254 of 2834	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.3	2255 of 2737	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.7	1402 of 2761	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	1258 of 2783	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	1205 of 2781	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.7	710 of 2740	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	50.1	1148 of 2715	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	1099 of 2480	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.2	837 of 2508	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.8	1018 of 2497	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.9	982 of 2477	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	41.5	1317 of 2259	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.9	1338 of 2236	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.4	1005 of 2179	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	56.9	819 of 2063	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	64.2	352 of 1491	76.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.5	1173 of 2533	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	1300 of 2551	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.0	1161 of 2531	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.4	579 of 2509	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	52.5	997 of 2380	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.2	1019 of 2262	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.1	1601 of 2395	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.1	991 of 2388	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	1587 of 2542	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.7	1384 of 2579	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	1112 of 2531	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	893 of 2458	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	22.7	1936 of 2369	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	1592 of 2230	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.5	1507 of 2534	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.6	1057 of 2552	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.9	1062 of 2538	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.7	759 of 2527	70.0%	★★★★☆
2019	45.0	1156 of 2407	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.6	1058 of 2273	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	33.0	978 of 1531	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.5	1131 of 1520	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	1122 of 1537	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.3	1107 of 1543	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.7	795 of 1555	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.8	1131 of 1602	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	1075 of 1496	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.2	1038 of 2162	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.7	657 of 2159	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	708 of 2170	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.3	446 of 2123	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	77.7	405 of 2133	81.0%	★★★★☆
2018	54.6	918 of 2017	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.8	914 of 2021	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.8	806 of 2039	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.7	921 of 1994	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	43.7	940 of 2354	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	45.8	893 of 2367	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.7	847 of 2281	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.5	673 of 2238	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	80.4	121 of 2117	94.3%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	67.6	210 of 1052	80.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.6	1056 of 1906	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.5	813 of 1915	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	587 of 1915	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.9	476 of 1858	74.4%	★★★★☆
2019	67.3	509 of 1833	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	52.4	849 of 1760	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	1124 of 1900	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.5	1105 of 2013	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.6	692 of 2026	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.7	594 of 2030	70.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.6	358 of 1943	81.6%	★★★★☆
2019	84.1	223 of 1937	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	56.8	796 of 1862	57.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.6	850 of 1942	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.8	563 of 1948	71.1%	★★★★☆
2023	46.1	951 of 1963	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	77.8	371 of 1916	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	80.3	319 of 1880	83.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.5	884 of 1834	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.4	529 of 1252	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.1	437 of 1216	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.0	222 of 1197	81.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.7	848 of 1155	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.3	790 of 1173	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.5	770 of 1193	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.7	481 of 1204	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.3	518 of 1222	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.9	836 of 1173	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Special Education (2025)40th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)37th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)25th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)8th percentile-21 vs school

Middle school

Disabled (2019)76th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)54th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)41st percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)38th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2023)36th percentile-21 vs school

Hispanic (2025)33rd percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)26th percentile-24 vs school

High school

Disabled (2018)80th percentile+26 vs school

Special Education (2025)58th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)56th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)45th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)45th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)41st percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)27th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy39%-10 vs state

Science31%~ state avg

Mathematics27%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Forest Charter

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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 ()				Ranking ()				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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th 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 11th 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 11th 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
Forest Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	470 Searls Ave.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 265-4823	845	40	20.9	44.5%	659 (78.0%)	4 (0.5%)	104 (12.3%)	5 (0.6%)	10 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	56 (6.6%)								(n/a)	28.6	30.0	26.3	29.3	30.7	25.5	28.6	36.2	31.4	45.6	47.5	51.3	39.2	26.1	29.6	28.1	23.2	35.1	27.5	20.0	26.7	54.8	57.1	61.9	59.5	59.5	59.5	$27,570	$27,308	$262
Vantage Point Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	10862 Spenceville Rd.	Penn Valley	95946	Nevada County	Penn Valley Union Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 432-5312	33	4	8.2	66.7%	23 (69.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (12.1%)								(n/a)					18.2								45.0								5.0							$31,497	$30,402	$1,095
Arete Charter Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	16229 Duggans Rd.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(530) 268-2805	207	9	22.5	32.4%	158 (76.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (13.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.7%)								(n/a)	41.2	54.2			46.6	35.5	53.9	47.1	52.6	23.8	66.7		45.8	38.7	38.5	32.4	31.6	33.3	33.3		34.5	45.2	52.4	59.5	50.0	52.4	50.0	$21,068	$20,876	$192
Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	9841 Texas Hill Rd.	Oregon House	95962	Yuba County	Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 692-2210	184	14	13.2	75.0%	111 (60.3%)	1 (0.5%)	52 (28.3%)	2 (1.1%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.6%)								(n/a)	27.6	25.0			26.7	70.6	14.3	30.0	33.3	19.1	35.3		33.3	82.4	35.7	13.3	14.3	4.8	29.4		26.7

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Charter

What is the racial makeup of Forest Charter?

Students at Forest Charter are 78% White, 12% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Forest Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 845 students attended Forest Charter.

Is Forest Charter a good school?

Forest Charter ranks 4122^nd of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Forest Charter in?

Nevada County Office of Education

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Schools in Nevada City, CA

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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.