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Forest Lake Elementary

Q: Is Forest Lake Elementary a good school?

Forest Lake Elementary ranks 296 th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

296^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Forest Lake Elementary is a PK-5 school in Columbia, SC, serving 652 students within the Richland 02 district, where it stands as the top-performing traditional elementary school among its immediate district peers.

Forest Lake has shown remarkable resilience, climbing from the bottom quarter of South Carolina schools a decade ago to its current solidly mid-to-upper tier ranking (55th percentile, 3 stars). The school's standout strengths include exceptional performance with its student body overall, ranking in the top 6% statewide for White students and top 20% for African American students—a dual strength that indicates effective instruction across diverse populations. Academically, 4th grade English Language Arts is a clear bright spot, with 76.4% proficiency, outpacing both district and state averages by more than 11 points. Science performance is also consistently strong, exceeding district and state averages for three consecutive years. However, the school faces notable challenges: performance with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (41st percentile) lags significantly behind the school's overall ranking, and a new gender gap emerged in 2025-2026, with female students outperforming males by 16 percentile points—a dramatic shift from just a year prior when the gap was only 1 point. Chronic absenteeism has also risen sharply to 23.1%, now exceeding both district and state averages after years of being lower.

Compared to nearby schools, Forest Lake significantly outperforms its Richland 02 neighbors like Polo Road Elementary (17th percentile) and Windsor Elementary (8th percentile) by 20-47 percentile points, while achieving these results with lower per-student spending ($14,520) than several of those schools. Yet across district lines in Richland 01, schools like Satchel Ford Elementary (90th percentile) and Brockman Elementary (97th percentile) dramatically outperform Forest Lake, highlighting significant educational inequity within a 3-mile radius. Families should also note the "middle school cliff" pattern at E. L. Wright Middle, where elementary proficiency rates above 97% plummet to below 42% in 6th grade—a transition challenge worth monitoring.

652

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,520

Per pupil spending ?

61%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6801 Brookfield Road
Columbia, SC 29206

(803) 782-0470

District: Richland 02

Students who attend Forest Lake Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Dent Middle
High:	Richland Northeast High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

55.7%

Hispanic:

17.9%

White:

17.3%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Forest Lake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 72nd percentile in 2022 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the South Carolina median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 72nd-percentile peak (2022) to 55th (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg58%

296^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Richland 02

36^th of 75Richland 02 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	52.4	296 of 661	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.0	271 of 639	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.7	287 of 643	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	217 of 644	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.2	177 of 625	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	238 of 622	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	219 of 643	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.5	270 of 624	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	37.3	400 of 639	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	27.6	473 of 619	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.9	440 of 638	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.4	360 of 630	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.1	408 of 599	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.3	356 of 594	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.8	260 of 597	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.3	327 of 589	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.2	316 of 580	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.4	332 of 577	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.4	309 of 566	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	60.2	243 of 559	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	59.2	251 of 557	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.4	234 of 550	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2003	70.4	158 of 542	70.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	69 of 384	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	73.8	74 of 380	80.5%	★★★★☆
2024	67.5	88 of 369	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	83.6	38 of 394	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	87.4	27 of 393	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	72.0	61 of 350	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	63 of 421	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	72.0	80 of 412	80.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	242 of 599	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.5	262 of 580	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.1	285 of 568	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.7	233 of 580	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.4	191 of 573	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	251 of 554	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.6	243 of 588	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.1	295 of 570	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	52.9	54 of 115	53.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	373 of 634	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.1	312 of 612	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.1	334 of 602	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.4	232 of 608	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.6	184 of 600	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.8	370 of 580	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.6	248 of 600	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.9	299 of 588	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.0	332 of 591	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.2	270 of 585	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.3	254 of 571	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.9	181 of 582	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.8	162 of 579	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	189 of 561	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.0	188 of 590	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.1	236 of 571	58.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.3	29 of 463	93.7%	★★★★★
2025	86.8	30 of 459	93.5%	★★★★★
2023	89.2	27 of 463	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	88.7	34 of 455	92.5%	★★★★★
2021	91.1	26 of 439	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	89.1	31 of 457	93.2%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)94th percentile+39 vs school

African American (2026)82nd percentile+27 vs school

Female (2026)60th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2023)53rd percentile-13 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)41st percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts63%~ state avg

Science58%+7 vs state

Mathematics51%-3 vs state

5.0

6 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★6

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, January 22, 2020

We are so happy to have both of our children at Forest Lake Elementary. The staff are excellent and caring, the teaching methods/subjects are very modern, and the principal is the glue that holds everything together. I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, August 5, 2018

Amazing school. Supportive staff and the best teachers Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, August 28, 2012

I completely agree with previous posting. Two of my children attend this school by choice within the district. The staff is amazing! The principal was "Elementary Principal of the Year" for the state in 2011. It was featured on NBC's Education Nation series two years ago because of their successes and innovations in elementary education. The children are supported and challenged. These evaluations based upon test scores alone DO NOT give an accurate picture of the school or the level of education that the kids get there. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 24, 2010

Forest Lake Elementary is a Technology Magnet School. They do a phenomenal job with their students. They are a NASA explorer school, and have won several awards and grants. Don't let the test scores be your only option when deciding which schools are "good". Students who want to be challenged have every opportunity to reach their potential at this school. My boys have had a wonderful experience here. Close Quote

Schools Near Forest Lake 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)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2026)	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 (2024)	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 English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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 Lake Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6801 Brookfield Road	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 782-0470	652	49	13.2	61.0%	113 (17.3%)	363 (55.7%)	117 (17.9%)	20 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	52.4	296^th of 661 public elementary schools	55.2%		56	271^st of 639 public elementary schools	57.6%	25	54.3	76.4	59.4				54.3	50.5	47.7				58.3			$14,520	$1,089	$725	$1,813	$10,351	$2,357	$12,707
L. W. Conder Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	8040 Hunt Club Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8720	489	44	11.1	100.0%	18 (3.7%)	259 (53.0%)	186 (38.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)	15.6	584^th of 661 public elementary schools	11.6%		15.7	560^th of 639 public elementary schools	12.4%	24	38.7	49.2	49.3				30.7	37.0	27.9				27.7			$18,312	$1,946	$926	$2,872	$12,763	$2,677	$15,440
Satchel Ford Elementary	Public	K-5	5901 Satchel Ford Road	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7209	721	48	15.1	100.0%	499 (69.2%)	151 (20.9%)	34 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	88.5	63^rd of 661 public elementary schools	90.5%		88.2	61^st of 639 public elementary schools	90.5%	2	75.8	83.6	87.9				70.3	72.4	81.9				74.6			$16,843	$2,148	$1,176	$3,325	$11,759	$1,759	$13,518
Joseph Keels Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7500 Springcrest Drive	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8754	465	43	10.9	100.0%	7 (1.5%)	384 (82.6%)	44 (9.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	35.6	427^th of 661 public elementary schools	35.4%		30.1	450^th of 639 public elementary schools	29.6%	23	46.7	56.1	54.3				51.7	42.4	42.9				47.9			$17,949	$1,969	$1,001	$2,969	$12,353	$2,628	$14,980
Jackson Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7150 Trenholm Road Extension	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 790-3800	551	50	10.9	100.0%	4 (0.7%)	426 (77.3%)	79 (14.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.5%)	13.3	604^th of 661 public elementary schools	8.6%		11.3	588^th of 639 public elementary schools	8.0%	16	48.6	35.7	38.0				46.6	24.3	22.5				28.6			$15,730	$1,991	$706	$2,697	$10,820	$2,213	$13,033
Brockman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2245 Montclair Drive	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 790-6743	297	21	14.1	100.0%	207 (69.7%)	34 (11.4%)	21 (7.1%)	15 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.7%)	96.3	16^th of 661 public elementary schools	97.6%		86.5	73^rd of 639 public elementary schools	88.6%	57	91.9	90.9	100.0				80.6	84.9	76.6				94.0			$29,849	$2,239	$1,349	$3,589	$23,305	$2,955	$26,260
E. L. Wright Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	2740 Alpine Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8740	1,275	87	14.5	58.3%	201 (15.8%)	735 (57.6%)	202 (15.8%)	71 (5.6%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (4.8%)	43.4	371^st of 661 public elementary schools	43.9%		36.2	404^th of 639 public elementary schools	36.8%	33	88.7	97.8	97.4	41.9	52.8	52.9	72.8	72.7	84.6	26.7	29.4	33.2	81.8	40.8		$13,243	$801	$448	$1,249	$9,658	$2,336	$11,994
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	100.0%	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			$22,558	$2,904	$1,712	$4,616	$14,919	$3,024	$17,943
Bradley Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3032 Pinebelt Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 738-7200	392	33	11.8	100.0%	20 (5.1%)	274 (69.9%)	66 (16.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	22 (5.6%)	34.7	430^th of 661 public elementary schools	34.9%		39.8	380^th of 639 public elementary schools	40.5%	50	44.8	62.3	53.7				41.4	54.7	35.2				47.2			$22,878	$3,074	$1,695	$4,769	$15,499	$2,611	$18,110
Polo Road Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1250 Polo Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 419-2226	665	50	13.2	69.8%	39 (5.9%)	345 (51.9%)	217 (32.6%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (7.2%)	18.8	548^th of 661 public elementary schools	17.1%		21.1	523^rd of 639 public elementary schools	18.2%	25	44.6	50.6	49.5				43.7	24.7	29.3				35.3			$15,464	$1,280	$1,131	$2,411	$11,315	$1,738	$13,053

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Lake Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Forest Lake Elementary?

Students at Forest Lake Elementary are 56% African American, 18% Hispanic, 17% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Forest Lake Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Dent Middle
High : Richland Northeast High

Is Forest Lake Elementary a good school?

Forest Lake Elementary ranks 296^th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Forest Lake Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 652 students attended Forest Lake Elementary.

What district is Forest Lake Elementary in?

Richland 02

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

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

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 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.