Enrollment
652
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, SC
Forest Lake Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Forest Lake Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450339000969
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Lake Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #29 of 43
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 70.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Lake Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Lake Elementary ranks #29 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Richland 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450339000969 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Lake Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Lake Elementary
Forest Lake Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 652 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.4% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 652 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 151 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #84.
Its student body is led by African American (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 652 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Sc Connections Academy (6,152 students): Forest Lake Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 27.8:1).
Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students) and Blythewood High (2,164 students) alongside Forest Lake Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Forest Lake Elementary compares
Forest Lake Elementary on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.4% | ▼ 5% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 652 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
652
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 39% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,517
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 652 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 55.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.9%
White 17.3%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 55.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Forest Lake Elementary is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 02, which includes Forest Lake Elementary.
$13,517
Per student
-7%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 47.7%
Federal 10.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Forest Lake Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blythewood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge View High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richland Northeast High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Lake Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,230
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,164
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,743
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,631
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sc Connections Academy
Standard public school
6,152 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Brennen Elementary
Standard public school
805 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Rice Creek Elementary
Standard public school
718 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Caughman Road Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Killian Elementary
Standard public school
699 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Sandlapper Elementary
Standard public school
671 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~652 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Lake Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Forest Lake Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 02's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Forest Lake Elementary
How many students attend Forest Lake Elementary?
Forest Lake Elementary has 652 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Lake Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Lake Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 7% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Lake Elementary?
70.4% of students at Forest Lake Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Lake Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Forest Lake Elementary is African American at 55.7% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Lake Elementary?
Forest Lake Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Forest Lake Elementary rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Lake Elementary ranks #29 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Forest Lake Elementary a good school?
Forest Lake Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Richland 02?
Besides Forest Lake Elementary, Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students), Blythewood High (2,164 students), and Westwood High (1,743 students). See the Richland 02 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.