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Forest Elementary

Q: Is Forest Elementary a good school?

Forest Elementary ranks 271 st of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

271^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Forest Elementary is a PK–5 school in Forest, Virginia, serving 384 students as part of Bedford County Public Schools. The school currently ranks 271st out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (76th percentile, 4 stars) — a strong result, though a step down from its 2020–21 peak of 25th in the state. Even so, Forest outperforms both the district and state in most subjects: 3rd grade math proficiency is 89.9% (vs. 74.0% statewide), 3rd grade reading is 88.4% (vs. 67.6%), and 5th grade science is 91.8% (vs. 68.8%).

Attendance is a standout strength. Forest's chronic absenteeism rate was just 6.4% in 2024–25, far better than the district's 11.8% and the state's 14.8%. The school's main soft spot is 4th grade: math proficiency fell to 68.7%, below the district's 74.0%, and Virginia Studies also trailed the district average. The drop may be specific to one cohort — nearby Boonsboro Elementary shows a similar 4th grade math pattern, while other area schools do not. A gender gap has also emerged: female students rank in the 84th percentile statewide, while male students rank in the 68th — a 16-point gap that barely existed the previous year.

Forest gets strong results with larger classes and leaner spending than most nearby schools. Its student-teacher ratio of 17.6 is the highest in the area, and it spends $7,713 per student — less than nearly all comparable schools, with only Tomahawk Elementary spending less. Among neighbors, New London Academy Elementary (ranked 105th) and Thomas Jefferson Elementary (ranked 140th) currently sit higher, while Boonsboro Elementary (266th) is just ahead of Forest. With a low free/reduced lunch rate of about 18% — far below the 86%–97% range at nearby Lynchburg City Public Schools — Forest remains an efficient, above-average school worth considering.

384

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,713

Per pupil spending ?

18%

Free/discounted lunch ?

One Scholar Lane
Forest, VA 24551

(434) 525-2681

District: Bedford County Public Schools

Students who attend Forest Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Forest Middle
High:	Jefferson Forest High

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.1%

Asian:

9.4%

Hispanic:

8.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Forest Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 98th percentile in 2021 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (84% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Virginia elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 98th-percentile peak (2021) to 76th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school84%

District avg77%

Virginia avg72%

271^st of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Bedford County Public Schools

35^th of 131Bedford County Public Schools among Virginia 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	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	75.7	271 of 1111	75.6%	★★★★☆
2025	84.2	141 of 1110	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	84.7	125 of 1114	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	84.3	131 of 1114	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	89.5	62 of 1109	94.4%	★★★★★
2021	93.2	25 of 1103	97.7%	★★★★★
2019	78.3	197 of 1105	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.7	303 of 1097	72.4%	★★★★☆
2017	64.0	400 of 1099	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.2	319 of 1096	70.9%	★★★★☆
2015	79.4	156 of 1100	85.8%	★★★★☆
2014	76.8	195 of 1110	82.4%	★★★★☆
2013	68.1	341 of 1120	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.1	290 of 1117	74.0%	★★★★☆
2011	65.8	359 of 1117	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	79.2	107 of 1113	90.4%	★★★★★
2009	81.7	77 of 1082	92.9%	★★★★★
2008	64.4	365 of 1081	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.6	242 of 1083	77.7%	★★★★☆
2006	79.6	118 of 1071	89.0%	★★★★☆
2005	75.8	187 of 1062	82.4%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	161 of 246	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	80.3	174 of 1100	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	83.2	140 of 1096	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.4	111 of 1098	89.9%	★★★★☆
2023	80.9	164 of 1100	85.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	206 of 1040	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	88.2	49 of 1046	95.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	67.8	357 of 1099	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	82.1	166 of 1093	84.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	177 of 1101	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	83.5	136 of 1093	87.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	388 of 974	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.8	158 of 973	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	78.8	132 of 979	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.9	144 of 984	85.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)84th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)60th percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2026)35th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science92%+23 vs state

English Reading87%+16 vs state

Mathematics82%+8 vs state

VA Studies74%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Forest 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)				SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL VA 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	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	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	One Scholar Lane	Forest	24551	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 525-2681	384	22	17.6	18.0%	273 (71.1%)	18 (4.7%)	32 (8.3%)	36 (9.4%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.5%)	75.7	271^st of 1111 public elementary schools	75.6%		84.2	141^st of 1110 public elementary schools	87.3%	130	89.9	68.7	90.0	91.8	88.4	85.7	86.9	73.8	$7,713	$582	$7,132
Thomas Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1255 Patriot Place	Forest	24551	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 534-6159	567	35	16.1	24.5%	404 (71.3%)	38 (6.7%)	51 (9.0%)	29 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.9%)	84.3	140^th of 1111 public elementary schools	87.4%		84.2	140^th of 1110 public elementary schools	87.4%		89.0	85.9	93.0	88.7	81.0	87.4	85.7	87.4	$8,846	$336	$8,510
Tomahawk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	155 Bee Drive	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Campbell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 237-4090	667	46	14.6	76.9%	418 (62.7%)	100 (15.0%)	81 (12.1%)	17 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.5%)	51.2	597^th of 1111 public elementary schools	46.3%		51.7	578^th of 1110 public elementary schools	47.9%	19	76.4	81.3	70.2	53.5	75.5	75.0	67.5	73.0	$7,481	$432	$7,050
New London Academy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1133 Academy Lane	Forest	24551	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 525-2177	330	22	15.0	31.8%	260 (78.8%)	20 (6.1%)	21 (6.4%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.7%)	86	105^th of 1111 public elementary schools	90.5%		80.4	211^th of 1110 public elementary schools	81.0%	106	90.2	92.9	85.7	83.3	92.2	85.7	85.7	91.1	$8,950	$528	$8,422
Heritage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	501 Leesville Rd	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5230	448	33	13.5	86.2%	96 (21.4%)	226 (50.4%)	40 (8.9%)	19 (4.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (14.5%)	26.3	884^th of 1111 public elementary schools	20.4%		16.5	965^th of 1110 public elementary schools	13.1%	81	62.2	60.3	73.6	60.4	54.6	63.2	64.2	45.5	$9,581	$1,457	$8,124
Sandusky Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5828 Apache Ln	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5280	316	24	13.1	93.4%	73 (23.1%)	161 (50.9%)	51 (16.1%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.9%)	19.9	944^th of 1111 public elementary schools	15.0%		37.4	746^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.8%	198	66.7	61.5	55.1	51.0	49.2	60.0	64.6	50.8	$9,076	$1,666	$7,410
Boonsboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1234 Eagle Circle	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 384-2881	309	19	16.2	26.5%	253 (81.9%)	22 (7.1%)	16 (5.2%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	76.2	266^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.1%		74.5	294^th of 1110 public elementary schools	73.5%	28	87.5	69.1	89.4	88.0	85.7	81.5	81.6	84.6	$8,031	$318	$7,714
Leesville Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	25 Lewis Way	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Campbell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 239-0303	646	44	14.5	78.6%	361 (55.9%)	108 (16.7%)	94 (14.6%)	17 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (10.1%)	64.6	418^th of 1111 public elementary schools	62.4%		66.9	392^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	64.7%	26	77.2	82.0	80.4	71.0	66.3	80.9	78.7	81.8	$8,282	$625	$7,657
Sheffield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	115 Kenwood Place	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5290	443	36	12.3	92.8%	107 (24.2%)	202 (45.6%)	75 (16.9%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (11.7%)	20.2	938^th of 1111 public elementary schools	15.6%		22.2	899^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.0%	39	49.3	39.7	64.0	68.0	50.7	50.0	79.6	48.4	$10,543	$1,578	$8,965
Perrymont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	409 Perrymont Ave	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5250	377	30	12.5	93.4%	95 (25.2%)	195 (51.7%)	32 (8.5%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (13.0%)	4.9	1075^th of 1111 public elementary schools	3.2%		5.6	1068^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.8%	7	44.9	53.9	42.9	21.4	42.9	46.2	50.0	44.4	$9,930	$1,503	$8,427

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Elementary

Is Forest Elementary a good school?

Forest Elementary ranks 271^st of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Elementary?

Students at Forest Elementary are 71% White, 9% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% African American, 1% American Indian.

What district is Forest Elementary in?

Bedford County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Forest Elementary attend?

Students who attend Forest Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Forest Middle
High : Jefferson Forest High

How many students attend Forest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 384 students attended Forest Elementary.

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Schools in Forest, VA

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

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