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Forest Dale Elementary School

Q: Is Forest Dale Elementary School a good school?

Forest Dale Elementary School ranks 135 th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

135^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Forest Dale Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Carmel, Indiana, serving 638 students as part of Carmel Clay Schools, a district ranked #5 of 374 in Indiana at the 99th percentile with 5 stars. Forest Dale is still strong by state standards — #135 of 1,015 elementary schools in 2025–2026, at the 87th percentile with 4 stars — but that is a step down from 2024–2025, when it ranked #61 with 5 stars, and from its long-term peak of #51 in 2016–2017.

Within its own Carmel Clay neighborhood group — Clay Center, Cherry Tree, Smoky Row, Mohawk Trails, Carmel Elementary, Woodbrook, and Forest Dale itself — Forest Dale ranks 6th of 7 overall, ahead of Woodbrook but below most nearby Carmel elementaries. ELA is the clearest weak spot: 56.19% proficiency versus 70.76% across the district, the lowest of the seven. Third grade ELA (45.37%, only 4.57 points above the state) and 4th grade ELA (60.82%) both rank last among the group. Math (67.22%) and science (67.01%) sit below district averages but mid-pack locally. Fifth grade social studies is a genuine bright spot at 77.66% — 3rd of 7 and more than 30 points above the state's 47.2%, improving every year since 2022–23.

Chronic absenteeism is the main non-academic concern: it improved from 15.2% in 2021–22 to 6.8% in 2024–25, better than the state's 16.7% and the nearby MSD Washington Township schools (13.3–20.0%), but it is now the highest among the same-district Carmel peers and slightly above the 6.4% district average. Class sizes (13.3 students per teacher) and spending ($12,402 per student) are favorable, so the ELA gap is not easily explained by resources. Compared with nearby Washington Township schools such as Spring Mill, Clearwater, Allisonville, and Nora, Forest Dale generally posts higher test scores, lower absenteeism, and lower free/reduced lunch.

638

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,402

Per pupil spending ?

18%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10721 Lakeshore Dr W
Carmel, IN 46033

(317) 844-4948

District: Carmel Clay Schools

Students who attend Forest Dale Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Carmel Middle School
High:	Carmel High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.9%

Hispanic:

8.9%

African American:

6.0%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Forest Dale Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Indiana average (64% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Indiana elementary schools

Worth a look

!Near the bottom of Carmel Clay Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg72%

Indiana avg47%

135^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Carmel Clay Schools

5^th of 374Carmel Clay Schools among Indiana 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	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	85.2	135 of 1015	86.7%	★★★★☆
2025	91.7	61 of 1005	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	87.2	103 of 1011	89.8%	★★★★☆
2023	84.6	133 of 1016	86.9%	★★★★☆
2022	88.6	85 of 1020	91.7%	★★★★★
2021	83.4	143 of 1016	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	89.2	73 of 1031	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	89.2	62 of 1027	94.0%	★★★★★
2017	89.3	51 of 1033	95.1%	★★★★★
2016	85.0	89 of 1046	91.5%	★★★★★
2015	76.0	201 of 1040	80.7%	★★★★☆
2014	80.9	123 of 1036	88.1%	★★★★☆
2013	81.8	104 of 1035	90.0%	★★★★★
2012	82.1	110 of 1015	89.2%	★★★★☆
2011	77.6	173 of 1025	83.1%	★★★★☆
2010	83.1	96 of 1009	90.5%	★★★★★
2009	90.2	35 of 1003	96.5%	★★★★★
2008	88.8	49 of 996	95.1%	★★★★★
2007	88.1	46 of 985	95.3%	★★★★★
2006	89.3	47 of 961	95.1%	★★★★★
2005	90.4	39 of 959	95.9%	★★★★★

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies78%+30 vs state

Math67%

Science67%

English Language Arts56%

★

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Schools Near Forest Dale Elementary School

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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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)				ILEARN Math (2026)				ILEARN Science (2026)		ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Forest Dale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10721 Lakeshore Dr W	Carmel	46033	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-4948	638	48	13.3	18.0%	478 (74.9%)	38 (6.0%)	57 (8.9%)	38 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	25 (3.9%)	85.2	135^th of 1015 public elementary schools	86.7%		91.7	61^st of 1005 public elementary schools	93.9%	74	45.4	60.8	63.8	56.2	63.9	74.2	63.8	67.2	67.0	67.0	77.7	$12,402	$496	$11,906
Woodbrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4311 E 116th St	Carmel	46033	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 846-4225	628	45	13.9	12.6%	481 (76.6%)	34 (5.4%)	40 (6.4%)	48 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.5%)	82.5	155^th of 1015 public elementary schools	84.7%		92	57^th of 1005 public elementary schools	94.3%	98	54.8	61.5	56.6	57.8	60.2	72.5	45.1	59.1	65.1	65.1	74.3	$12,669	$389	$12,280
Mohawk Trails Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4242 E 126th St	Carmel	46033	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-1158	543	41	13.1	18.6%	398 (73.3%)	14 (2.6%)	81 (14.9%)	35 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.8%)	86.6	116^th of 1015 public elementary schools	88.6%		90.2	79^th of 1005 public elementary schools	92.1%	37	62.8	63.3	58.5	61.4	68.6	65.0	57.5	63.5	69.6	69.6	69.2	$12,839	$719	$12,121
Carmel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 S Richland Ave	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-0168	700	49	14.2	23.0%	450 (64.3%)	42 (6.0%)	84 (12.0%)	86 (12.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.3%)	86.2	125^th of 1015 public elementary schools	87.7%		90.8	68^th of 1005 public elementary schools	93.2%	57	54.4	61.5	58.3	57.9	70.4	74.0	60.0	68.0	59.2	59.2	72.6	$12,140	$517	$11,623
Nora Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 E 91st St	Indianapolis	46240	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-5436	544	33	16.4	53.1%	119 (21.9%)	177 (32.5%)	191 (35.1%)	22 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	32 (5.9%)	46.5	556^th of 1015 public elementary schools	45.2%		33.5	694^th of 1005 public elementary schools	30.9%	138	29.8	32.2	45.2	35.3	40.4	47.8	44.1	43.9	34.8	34.8	51.2	$15,279	$1,514	$13,765
Clearwater Elementary School	Public	K-5	3575 E 79th Street	Indianapolis	46240	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 259-5465	750	39	19.2	39.6%	347 (46.3%)	234 (31.2%)	94 (12.5%)	11 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.3%)	82.7	152^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	85.0%		79.2	191^st of 1005 public elementary schools	81.0%	39	54.7	55.6	58.9	56.4	70.8	65.1	57.4	64.5	59.5	59.5	61.2	$12,684	$1,248	$11,436
Allisonville Elementary School	Public	K-5	4900 E 79th St	Indianapolis	46250	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 845-9441	724	42	17.2	33.4%	318 (43.9%)	273 (37.7%)	91 (12.6%)	8 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.6%)	71.3	276^th of 1015 public elementary schools	72.8%		68.4	305^th of 1005 public elementary schools	69.7%	29	43.3	55.9	55.4	51.1	54.3	55.9	46.4	52.3	56.8	56.8	59.8	$13,501	$1,279	$12,222
Clay Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12025 Clay Center Rd	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 733-6450	666	48	13.7	12.2%	483 (72.5%)	21 (3.2%)	45 (6.8%)	83 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.1%)	97.7	7^th of 1015 public elementary schools	99.3%		96.9	14^th of 1005 public elementary schools	98.6%	7	79.4	88.1	77.1	81.6	80.4	89.0	81.4	83.7	83.9	83.9	83.9	$12,242	$172	$12,070
Cherry Tree Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13989 Hazel Dell Parkway	Carmel	46033	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 846-3086	711	45	15.6	12.9%	582 (81.9%)	19 (2.7%)	64 (9.0%)	31 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.8%)	93	37^th of 1015 public elementary schools	96.4%		94.7	29^th of 1005 public elementary schools	97.1%	8	67.9	68.4	64.6	66.9	78.6	75.2	67.7	73.5	70.1	70.1	76.2	$11,794	$236	$11,557
Spring Mill Elementary School	Public	K-5	8250 Springmill Rd	Indianapolis	46260	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 259-5462	529	34	15.5	57.5%	76 (14.4%)	282 (53.3%)	121 (22.9%)	11 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.2%)	50.1	526^th of 1015 public elementary schools	48.2%		36.8	657^th of 1005 public elementary schools	34.6%	131	38.9	43.9	36.5	39.7	57.8	48.8	32.9	46.7	39.0	39.0	37.7	$15,113	$1,737	$13,376

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Dale Elementary School

What district is Forest Dale Elementary School in?

Carmel Clay Schools

Is Forest Dale Elementary School a good school?

Forest Dale Elementary School ranks 135^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Dale Elementary School?

Students at Forest Dale Elementary School are 75% White, 9% Hispanic, 6% African American, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Forest Dale Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 638 students attended Forest Dale Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Forest Dale Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Forest Dale Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carmel Middle School
High : Carmel High School

Rate Forest Dale Elementary School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresNewSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

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