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

Forest Heights Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

586^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Forest Heights Elementary is a PK-5 school in Columbia, SC, serving 435 students within the Richland 01 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The school has a favorable 12:1 student-teacher ratio and spends $20,567 per student—higher than the state average—yet consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of South Carolina elementary schools, currently holding an 11th percentile ranking (576th out of 649 schools) with a 1-star rating.

One of the school's standout strengths is its English Language Arts (ELA) performance, particularly in 3rd grade, where 53.6% of students met proficiency—nearly matching the district average of 56.2% and approaching the state average of 64.1%. This is notably stronger than several nearby schools, including Watkins-Nance Elementary (39.3%), A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary (40.4%), and Burton Pack Elementary (36.6%). However, mathematics is a critical weakness, with 5th-grade math proficiency at just 19% compared to 44.9% in 5th-grade ELA—a gap of nearly 26 percentage points. Math scores also decline sharply as students progress: 37.7% in 3rd grade, 24.6% in 4th grade, and 19% in 5th grade, suggesting students struggle with increasingly complex content.

Despite these challenges, Forest Heights outperforms several of its immediate neighbors, ranking higher than Watkins-Nance (5th percentile), Burton Pack (10th percentile), Sandel Elementary (8th percentile), and Edward E. Taylor Elementary (0th percentile). The school has also shown meaningful improvement in chronic absenteeism, dropping from 33.6% in 2022-2023 to 26.4% in 2024-2025—better than several nearby schools like Watkins-Nance (40.4%) and Burton Pack (52.3%). While the school remains in the bottom quartile statewide, it appears to be stabilizing, with its 11th percentile ranking in 2025-2026 slightly improving from 10th percentile in 2022-2023, even as some neighboring schools have declined.

435

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,476

Per pupil spending ?

83.8%

Directly certified for free meals (2023-24) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

2500 Blue Ridge Terrace
Columbia, SC 29203

(803) 691-3780

District: Richland 01

Students who attend Forest Heights Elementary usually attend:

High:

Eau Claire High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

72.2%

Hispanic:

17.7%

Two or more races:

6.0%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Forest Heights Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 10th percentile in 2016 → 11th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (37% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 21% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg50%

South Carolina avg58%

586^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 27Elementary Schools in the Richland 01

55^th of 75Richland 01 among South Carolina 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.4	586 of 661	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.5	528 of 639	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.3	508 of 643	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	579 of 644	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	549 of 625	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.2	596 of 622	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.0	593 of 643	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	607 of 624	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.4	597 of 639	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	16.1	557 of 619	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	15.0	592 of 638	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	32.3	467 of 630	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.8	496 of 599	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	10.2	560 of 594	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.4	555 of 597	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	17.5	535 of 589	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	23.7	494 of 580	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	9.6	554 of 577	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	18.7	503 of 566	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.0	480 of 559	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	38.8	383 of 557	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	25.6	450 of 550	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	22.6	458 of 542	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	281 of 384	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.7	247 of 380	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.9	208 of 369	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.2	329 of 394	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.7	279 of 393	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.7	320 of 350	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.8	327 of 421	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	377 of 412	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	487 of 599	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.4	399 of 580	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.8	492 of 568	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	547 of 580	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	524 of 573	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	502 of 554	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.5	529 of 588	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.8	541 of 570	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.9	538 of 634	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.5	487 of 612	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.9	432 of 602	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	526 of 608	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.8	503 of 600	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.6	561 of 580	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.4	551 of 600	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	570 of 588	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.5	556 of 591	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	519 of 585	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	432 of 571	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.2	500 of 582	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	499 of 579	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.0	541 of 561	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.1	559 of 590	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.9	561 of 571	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)27th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)6th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts49%-15 vs state

Science28%-24 vs state

Mathematics27%-27 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Forest Heights 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

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 12, 2012

This school is one of the best schools on this side of town. They have made AYP 2 years in a row, they have USC students coming for their internships, and the staff is very passionate about their children learning. I am glad my child goes here!! Close Quote

Schools Near Forest Heights 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)				SC READY Mathematics (2026)				SC READY Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
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	Directly certified (2023-24)	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	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Forest Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Blue Ridge Terrace	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 691-3780	435	36	12.0	83.8%	18 (4.1%)	314 (72.2%)	77 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)	15.4	586^th of 661 public elementary schools	11.3%		20.5	528^th of 639 public elementary schools	17.4%	58	53.6	50.0	44.9		37.7	24.6	19.0		27.9		$19,476	$1,560	$945	$2,505	$14,361	$2,610	$16,971
Carolina School for Inquiry	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	7405-A Fairfield Road	Columbia	29202	Richland County	Richland 01	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 691-1250	114	12	9.5	78.8%	4 (3.5%)	104 (91.2%)	2 (1.8%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)								(n/a)											$25,394	$867	$876	$1,743	$16,130	$7,521	$23,651
J. P. Thomas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Weston Avenue	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3430	346	28	12.3	90.1%	14 (4.0%)	298 (86.1%)	11 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (5.8%)	15.4	585^th of 661 public elementary schools	11.5%		17.3	544^th of 639 public elementary schools	14.9%	41	48.1	48.7	43.1		44.3	25.6	20.4		28.2		$22,464	$2,097	$1,088	$3,185	$16,253	$3,027	$19,279
Arden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Ashley Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3400	216	19	11.3	81.5%	2 (0.9%)	126 (58.3%)	73 (33.8%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)	17.1	565^th of 661 public elementary schools	14.5%		21.3	520^th of 639 public elementary schools	18.6%	45	37.8	47.3	52.9		40.5	27.7	32.3		30.6		$23,682	$987	$1,505	$2,492	$17,975	$3,215	$21,190
A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	726 Easter Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3417	358	24	15.2	83.9%	1 (0.3%)	325 (90.8%)	25 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	17.3	563^rd of 661 public elementary schools	14.8%		16.6	552^nd of 639 public elementary schools	13.6%	11	40.4	47.7	52.2		23.9	25.6	41.3		28.8		$19,869	$1,948	$1,116	$3,064	$13,782	$3,023	$16,805
Hyatt Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4200 Main Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3421	317	27	11.7	93.7%	9 (2.8%)	280 (88.3%)	12 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	15.7	580^th of 661 public elementary schools	12.3%		9.3	608^th of 639 public elementary schools	4.9%	28	56.0	46.2	36.0		52.0	23.0	16.0		15.4		$24,662	$2,061	$1,149	$3,210	$17,725	$3,726	$21,452
Burton Pack Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Garden Drive	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 691-5550	255	26	9.8	90.1%	1 (0.4%)	227 (89.0%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	14.7	591^st of 661 public elementary schools	10.6%		6.1	627^th of 639 public elementary schools	1.9%	36	36.6	54.2	42.8		20.0	41.2	23.5		29.4		$23,904	$1,580	$1,240	$2,820	$17,694	$3,390	$21,084
Edward E. Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 McRae Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2974	217	19	11.4	91.9%	0 (0.0%)	188 (86.6%)	18 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)	2.8	658^th of 661 public elementary schools	0.5%		17.4	543^rd of 639 public elementary schools	15.0%	115	32.5	20.0	37.0		21.0	5.0	14.8		5.0		$25,069	$1,304	$1,304	$2,609	$19,141	$3,319	$22,460
Pine Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Huffstetler Drive	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 214-2380	501	39	12.8	82.5%	37 (7.4%)	369 (73.7%)	55 (11.0%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.2%)	16.6	570^th of 661 public elementary schools	13.8%		13.2	576^th of 639 public elementary schools	9.9%	6	49.2	43.3	51.7		41.2	17.0	32.7		26.7		$20,350	$1,491	$1,145	$2,637	$15,122	$2,592	$17,714
Sandel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 Seminole Road	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 731-8906	479	36	13.3	87.4%	7 (1.5%)	375 (78.3%)	59 (12.3%)	17 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	12.9	606^th of 661 public elementary schools	8.3%		13.6	573^rd of 639 public elementary schools	10.3%	33	33.4	46.9	44.8		27.0	26.6	34.3		28.1		$19,189	$1,548	$1,140	$2,687	$14,074	$2,427	$16,502

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Heights Elementary

Is Forest Heights Elementary a good school?

Forest Heights Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.3% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Forest Heights Elementary in?

Richland 01

How many students attend Forest Heights Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Forest Heights Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Heights Elementary?

Students at Forest Heights Elementary are 72% African American, 18% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% White.

What schools do graduates of Forest Heights Elementary attend?

Students who attend Forest Heights Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Eau Claire High

Rate Forest Heights Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Columbia, SC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Forest Heights Elementary!

Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

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