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Forest Ridge Elementary

Q: Is Forest Ridge Elementary a good school?

Forest Ridge Elementary ranks 387 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

387^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Forest Ridge Elementary in Laurel, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 659 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the highly-regarded Howard County Public Schools district. The school has maintained a steady 3-star rating over the past decade, ranking in the 55th percentile statewide, which places it as a solid middle-ground performer within its high-achieving district.

Forest Ridge’s biggest strength is its exceptional support for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, ranking in the 83rd percentile for this group—a stark contrast to its overall performance. This suggests the school is highly effective at closing achievement gaps. However, the school faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, which at 22.3% is notably higher than top-performing peers like Gorman Crossing Elementary (9.8%) and Hammond Elementary (13.6%). Academically, Forest Ridge’s math proficiency (31.9%) outpaces the state average (27.1%), while its English Language Arts scores (51.4%) are nearly identical to the state average (51.7%).

When compared to nearby schools outside Howard County, Forest Ridge is a clear academic leader. Schools like Scotchtown Hills Elementary in Prince George’s County and Maryland City Elementary in Anne Arundel County rank in the bottom 30% of the state, highlighting the advantage of being in a high-performing district. Within Howard County, Forest Ridge outperforms Guilford Elementary (37th percentile) and Bollman Bridge Elementary (48th percentile) but trails Hammond Elementary (84th percentile) and Gorman Crossing (71st percentile). The school’s spending of $18,100 per student is moderate for the area, and reducing chronic absenteeism appears to be the most impactful way to boost its overall academic standing.

659

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,100

Per pupil spending ?

40.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9550 Gorman Rd
Laurel, MD 20723

(410) 880-5950

District: Howard County Public Schools

Students who attend Forest Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Patuxent Valley Middle
High:	Hammond High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

42.8%

Hispanic:

22.0%

Asian:

15.3%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Forest Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 57th percentile in 2016 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Maryland median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Howard County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg53%

Maryland avg39%

387^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

32^nd of 42Elementary Schools in the Howard County Public Schools

4^th of 25Howard County Public Schools among Maryland 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	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	52.6	387 of 864	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.1	388 of 865	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	409 of 859	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.1	363 of 855	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.3	320 of 862	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.5	267 of 802	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	315 of 853	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.4	278 of 857	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.4	319 of 847	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.9	364 of 845	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.4	367 of 859	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.8	320 of 867	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.7	326 of 847	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.5	397 of 857	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.2	340 of 853	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	69.4	281 of 855	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.4	285 of 850	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.3	270 of 838	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	31.8	606 of 818	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	31.6	600 of 804	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	31.4	599 of 805	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	25.2	646 of 803	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	48.6	185 of 504	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	16.3	113 of 128	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	54.9	244 of 796	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	42.1	144 of 347	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	63.6	91 of 546	83.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	47.8	296 of 788	62.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	68.4	149 of 528	71.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)83rd percentile+17 vs school

White (2021)72nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2021)69th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2021)63rd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2021)62nd percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2021)59th percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2021)12th percentile-55 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts51%~ state avg

Mathematics32%+5 vs state

Science31%~ state avg

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Schools Near Forest Ridge Elementary

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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)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)				MCAP English Language Arts (2026)				MCAP Science (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	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	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	659	52	12.6	40.8%	87 (13.2%)	282 (42.8%)	145 (22.0%)	101 (15.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	36 (5.5%)	52.6	387^th of 864 public elementary schools	55.2%		52.1	388^th of 865 public elementary schools	55.1%	1	38.5	29.2	28.9	31.9	47.9	53.1	52.7	51.4	30.7	$18,100	$851	$17,250
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	775	64	12.1	52.9%	167 (21.5%)	288 (37.2%)	226 (29.2%)	46 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.2%)	44.2	449^th of 864 public elementary schools	48.0%		32.3	540^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.6%	91	39.7	26.3	24.0	30.4	52.1	43.0	40.8	45.6	24.8	$20,412	$1,524	$18,888
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	625	51	12.2	58.4%	42 (6.7%)	277 (44.3%)	221 (35.4%)	53 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.1%)	42.4	463^rd of 864 public elementary schools	46.4%		32.4	539^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.7%	76	37.6	24.8	23.6	28.5	33.0	50.5	44.0	42.6	29.4	$22,128	$1,589	$20,539
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	750	59	12.6	21.5%	138 (18.4%)	285 (38.0%)	104 (13.9%)	183 (24.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (5.1%)	72.6	248^th of 864 public elementary schools	71.3%		80.1	181^st of 865 public elementary schools	79.1%	67	55.7	44.4	35.0	44.6	59.4	64.8	61.7	62.1	38.3	$16,929	$779	$16,150
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	472	36	13.1	90.9%	25 (5.3%)	126 (26.7%)	308 (65.3%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	23.3	643^rd of 864 public elementary schools	25.6%		21.9	666^th of 865 public elementary schools	23.0%	23	20.3	10.0	18.8	15.9	39.7	27.1	40.4	35.0	12.5	$21,445	$2,227	$19,218
Hammond Elementary	Public	K-5	8110 Aladdin Dr	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5890	763	48	15.8	18.6%	300 (39.3%)	190 (24.9%)	76 (10.0%)	132 (17.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (8.1%)	84.4	139^th of 864 public elementary schools	83.9%		82.6	156^th of 865 public elementary schools	82.0%	17	69.9	53.5	46.8	56.6	75.2	61.4	63.8	66.8	48.2	$16,153	$795	$15,358
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	437	37	11.9	46.5%	57 (13.0%)	214 (49.0%)	89 (20.4%)	52 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)	33.4	542^nd of 864 public elementary schools	37.3%		45.1	450^th of 865 public elementary schools	48.0%	92	32.0	18.1	20.0	23.4	40.5	29.6	45.3	38.6	23.1	$21,939	$1,483	$20,457
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	589	42	13.9	90.3%	20 (3.4%)	233 (39.6%)	283 (48.0%)	26 (4.4%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	17 (2.9%)	18.9	698^th of 864 public elementary schools	19.2%		16.8	734^th of 865 public elementary schools	15.1%	36	24.8	21.3	7.1	18.1	38.2	30.4	9.5	26.8	3.6	$20,968	$1,421	$19,547
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	450	39	11.4	79.8%	14 (3.1%)	169 (37.6%)	237 (52.7%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	17.9	711^th of 864 public elementary schools	17.7%		25.9	601^st of 865 public elementary schools	30.5%	110	17.3	14.5	12.7	14.8	24.7	29.4	23.7	25.8	17.7	$20,794	$2,484	$18,311
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	514	51	10.1	69.6%	23 (4.5%)	212 (41.2%)	238 (46.3%)	14 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	24.6	634^th of 864 public elementary schools	26.6%		22.2	662^nd of 865 public elementary schools	23.5%	28	27.1	16.3	8.9	17.0	42.9	34.2	30.4	35.5	14.3	$20,556	$2,449	$18,107

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Ridge Elementary

How many students attend Forest Ridge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 659 students attended Forest Ridge Elementary.

Is Forest Ridge Elementary a good school?

Forest Ridge Elementary ranks 387^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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

What district is Forest Ridge Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Forest Ridge Elementary?

Students at Forest Ridge Elementary are 43% African American, 22% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 13% White, 5% Two or more races.

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

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