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Cardinal Forest Elementary

Q: Is Cardinal Forest Elementary a good school?

Cardinal Forest Elementary ranks 426 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

426^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Cardinal Forest Elementary is a PK–6 school in Springfield, VA, serving 680 students in Fairfax County Public Schools, a district ranked 39th in Virginia. The school currently sits in the middle tier of Virginia elementary schools — 426th out of 1,111 schools (62nd percentile) in 2025-26 — after earning 4-star status in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and improving dramatically from a 25th-percentile ranking a decade ago. Cardinal Forest serves a higher economic-need population than most nearby schools: 31.18% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 9.61% at Orange Hunt Elementary and 13.36% at West Springfield Elementary. The school also maintains a favorable 12.3 student-teacher ratio, providing smaller class sizes than many neighboring schools.

Reading is a clear academic strength. In 2025-26, Cardinal Forest exceeded both district and state proficiency rates in reading at every grade level tested, with 86.41% of 6th graders proficient — about 13 points above the state average. Sixth-grade math was also a standout at 81.16%, nearly 18 points above the state average. The school earns particular recognition for specific student groups: African American students ranked in the 94th percentile statewide (5 stars) in 2025-26, and military-connected students placed in the 79th percentile. These achievements are especially noteworthy given the school's higher poverty rate relative to many nearby schools.

The school's main challenges are concentrated in 5th grade. Math proficiency among 5th graders was 64.52%, below both district and state averages, and science proficiency was just 61.29% — an 11-point gap versus the district. Nearby schools such as Keene Mill Elementary and Canterbury Woods Elementary posted science proficiency rates above 85%. Rankings for English Learner and low-income students have declined in recent years and are areas to watch. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has dropped from 17.6% in 2021-22 to just 8.1% in 2024-25 — well below the district (11.9%) and state (14.8%) averages. With reading as a strong foundation and smaller class sizes, Cardinal Forest is well-positioned to improve its math and science outcomes and climb back toward 4-star status.

680

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,163

Per pupil spending ?

31.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

8600 Forrester Blvd
Springfield, VA 22152

(703) 923-5200

District: Fairfax County Public Schools

Students who attend Cardinal Forest Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Irving Middle
High:	West Springfield High

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.1%

Hispanic:

23.7%

Asian:

15.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Cardinal Forest Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 71st percentile in 2023 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (77% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Above the Virginia median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 71st-percentile peak (2023) to 62nd (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school77%

District avg76%

Virginia avg71%

426^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 37 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 137Elementary Schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools

39^th of 131Fairfax 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	64.0	426 of 1111	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.0	417 of 1110	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.6	430 of 1114	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.7	323 of 1114	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	71.6	324 of 1109	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	62.3	433 of 1103	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.0	546 of 1105	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.5	518 of 1097	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	43.3	713 of 1099	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.5	821 of 1096	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	39.9	770 of 1100	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.7	589 of 1110	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	53.5	555 of 1120	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	67.6	315 of 1117	71.8%	★★★★☆
2011	72.0	241 of 1117	78.4%	★★★★☆
2010	65.8	356 of 1113	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.0	428 of 1082	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	35.9	819 of 1081	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	36.0	819 of 1083	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	57.8	468 of 1071	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.3	367 of 1062	65.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	87.5	36 of 591	93.9%	★★★★★
2025	76.1	105 of 579	81.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	123 of 579	78.8%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	178 of 246	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.4	182 of 249	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.6	146 of 238	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.3	186 of 230	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	239 of 420	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.5	104 of 355	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	61.8	121 of 324	62.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	33.7	219 of 326	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.8	124 of 306	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.7	78 of 300	74.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	551 of 1100	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.4	546 of 1096	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.7	433 of 1098	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	321 of 1100	70.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.7	339 of 619	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.4	278 of 606	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.4	309 of 580	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.0	209 of 564	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	537 of 1040	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.7	603 of 1046	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.9	729 of 1036	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	308 of 1099	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.2	277 of 1093	74.7%	★★★★☆
2024	63.9	420 of 1101	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.1	313 of 1093	71.4%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	72.0	43 of 206	79.1%	★★★★☆
2025	74.6	33 of 192	82.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	56.5	456 of 974	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.5	420 of 973	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.7	410 of 979	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	298 of 984	69.7%	★★★☆☆

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)94th percentile+32 vs school

Military Connected (2026)79th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2026)72nd percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)50th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile-16 vs school

Disabled (2026)43rd percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)33rd percentile-30 vs school

Asian (2026)28th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Reading80%+9 vs state

Mathematics77%+6 vs state

Science61%-7 vs state

2.8

10 ratings · 9 written reviews

5★4

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★5

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, January 30, 2020

We are very pleased with Cardinal Forest. We are a military family and we were previously at a highly rated school in TX. Test scores were emphasized more than the joy of learning. My kids enjoy going to school and the students and staff were very welcoming. The diversity of the students is wonderful. The families here seem to appreciate the value of a good education and do not take it for granted. Ms Drake is wonderful! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, October 15, 2019

This school is one of the worst elementary schools not only in Fairfax county, but in the entire state. It does not measure up to the reputation that Fairfax County has for the quality of its schools and is consistently in the habit of treating education as an absolute joke. The curriculum is followed only superficially and there is absolutely no evidence that the teachers are invested in their students. Communication is at is absolute worst. If you have a child in this school, be prepared to teach your children any and all concepts that are supposed to be taught in school. Otherwise, your child will be disadvantaged. If you are planning to move to this area specifically for this school, please do yourself a favor and reconsider your options. You will be greatly disappointed. I am very much looking forward to have my child leave this school and hopefully catch up in middle school. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, October 18, 2017

If I could give it zero I would. Principal needs to retire already. It’s hard to believe the principal and vice principal are so called early education experts. Some teachers are good, but leadership is lacksidaisical, completely disorganized and unimaginative. Test scores are in the crapper and no one seems to be holding the administration accountable. This school sucks. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Very happy with the excellent teachers! My kids have been challenged more than at other schools and have met or exceeded expectations. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, April 4, 2016

We are very disappointed with our experience at Cardinal Forest. If we could move, we would. If we could afford private school, we would send our children there. Such an overall lack of staff moral and ineffective administrators. We would never recommend. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 4, 2015

Terrible administration, the principal seems to think she is in command of the parents. Some good, concerned teachers but otherwise no. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 21, 2015

The school administration is, in my experience, punitive and non-responsive. The handling of special education children is especially troubling. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, October 17, 2014

I think your child's experience depends on the teacher he/she has for the school year. It has some school activities throughout the year and fundraisers too but overall it seems there is very little parental involvement and it's sense of community seems lacking. Not one of the better schools in Fairfax County. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, January 25, 2010

Very committed and experienced staff. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of teachers with 10-20 years of experience, the type my sons really do well with. Learning is adjusted well to meet the learning needs of each child. Opportunities for advanced children are plentiful. The before and/or after-school SACC program is a blessing to working families - and fun for the kids. Close Quote

Schools Near Cardinal 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 Algebra I (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)				SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 Algebra I 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cardinal Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8600 Forrester Blvd	Springfield	22152	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 923-5200	680	55	12.3	31.2%	293 (43.1%)	80 (11.8%)	161 (23.7%)	104 (15.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	64	426^th of 1111 public elementary schools	61.7%		65	417^th of 1110 public elementary schools	62.4%	9	≥ 50%	76.3	82.5	64.5	81.2	61.3	76.5	79.6	78.5	86.4	$14,163	$196	$13,967
Kings Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	5400 Harrow Way	Springfield	22151	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 426-7000	653	54	12.0	22.7%	317 (48.5%)	30 (4.6%)	160 (24.5%)	88 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	55 (8.4%)								(n/a)		80.5					81.9				$15,074	$159	$14,915
Ravensworth Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	5411 Nutting Dr	Springfield	22151	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 426-3600	568	38	15.0	18.1%	267 (47.0%)	18 (3.2%)	170 (29.9%)	72 (12.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.0%)	79.6	206^th of 1111 public elementary schools	81.5%		79.4	224^th of 1110 public elementary schools	79.8%	18		86.1	87.7	80.3	87.5	77.9	81.7	85.0	85.1	88.2	$11,946	$234	$11,712
Keene Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6310 Bardu Ave	Springfield	22152	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 644-4700	813	51	16.0	20.5%	311 (38.3%)	107 (13.2%)	167 (20.5%)	152 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (9.3%)	88.2	68^th of 1111 public elementary schools	93.9%		85.4	114^th of 1110 public elementary schools	89.7%	46	100.0	91.9	92.7	70.0	75.0	88.1	90.9	94.0	90.9	93.3	$10,708	$158	$10,549
Rolling Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6703 Barnack Dr	Springfield	22152	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 923-2700	521	36	14.5	24.0%	230 (44.1%)	72 (13.8%)	87 (16.7%)	83 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (9.2%)	62.8	438^th of 1111 public elementary schools	60.6%		64.1	434^th of 1110 public elementary schools	60.9%	4	≥ 50%	84.0	73.9	56.5	77.9	68.5	84.0	78.5	78.2	79.6	$14,104	$357	$13,747
White Oaks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6130 Shiplett Blvd	Burke	22015	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 923-1400	699	51	13.8	24.5%	279 (39.9%)	66 (9.4%)	160 (22.9%)	122 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	70 (10.0%)	80.5	195^th of 1111 public elementary schools	82.4%		79.4	223^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	79.9%	28		84.3	84.4	75.4	82.3	81.6	84.1	88.3	85.3	89.9	$13,374	$202	$13,172
North Springfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7602 Heming Court	Springfield	22151	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 658-5500	465	47	9.9	54.4%	120 (25.8%)	26 (5.6%)	213 (45.8%)	84 (18.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	58.8	494^th of 1111 public elementary schools	55.5%		41.4	707^th of 1110 public elementary schools	36.3%	213		80.0	69.0	67.7		73.7	76.7	80.7	71.9		$18,268	$476	$17,791
West Springfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6802 Deland Dr	Springfield	22152	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 912-4400	524	43	12.2	13.4%	275 (52.5%)	48 (9.2%)	84 (16.0%)	66 (12.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (9.5%)	84.1	144^th of 1111 public elementary schools	87.0%		87	87^th of 1110 public elementary schools	92.2%	57	493.0	86.6	89.3	81.3	81.8	85.2	80.6	88.2	87.5	92.1	$14,568	$337	$14,230
Orange Hunt Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	6820 Sydenstricker Rd	Springfield	22152	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 913-6800	874	51	17.1	9.6%	554 (63.4%)	65 (7.4%)	97 (11.1%)	67 (7.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (10.2%)	84.7	129^th of 1111 public elementary schools	88.4%		83.3	156^th of 1110 public elementary schools	85.9%	27	≥ 50%	89.6	90.6	85.5	79.5	83.2	86.5	92.0	86.5	87.8	$10,755	$164	$10,592
Canterbury Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4910 Willet Dr	Annandale	22003	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 764-5600	735	52	14.2	13.2%	347 (47.2%)	35 (4.8%)	102 (13.9%)	169 (23.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (10.7%)	87.6	81^st of 1111 public elementary schools	92.7%		88.5	70^th of 1110 public elementary schools	93.7%	11		92.4	95.0	64.3	94.3	85.6	87.1	93.3	87.9	93.2	$12,770	$181	$12,589

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardinal Forest Elementary

What district is Cardinal Forest Elementary in?

Fairfax County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Cardinal Forest Elementary?

Students at Cardinal Forest Elementary are 43% White, 24% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 12% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Cardinal Forest Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Irving Middle
High : West Springfield High

How many students attend Cardinal Forest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 680 students attended Cardinal Forest Elementary.

Is Cardinal Forest Elementary a good school?

Cardinal Forest Elementary ranks 426^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Cardinal Forest Elementary!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2023–24 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

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

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 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.