Enrollment
659
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laurel, MD
Forest Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Forest Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240042000177
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Ridge Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools.
- #7 of 12
- schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Ridge Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Ridge Elementary ranks #7 of 12 schools in Laurel, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042000177 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Ridge Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Ridge Elementary
Forest Ridge Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Laurel, Maryland, enrolling 659 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 659 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 265 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #209, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 659 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Laurel's public schools, it stands alongside Chesapeake Math and It Public Charter (1,681 students): Forest Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 18.5:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Forest Ridge 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 Ridge Elementary compares
Forest Ridge Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 29% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 659 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
659
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 52% in Maryland - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,971
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 659 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 42.9%
Hispanic or Latino 22.1%
Asian 15.4%
White 13.2%
Two or More 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 42.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.3, Forest Ridge Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Forest Ridge Elementary.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
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 Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Laurel
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Chesapeake Math and It Public Charter
Standard public school
1,681 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Gorman Crossing Elementary
Standard public school
750 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Laurel Woods Elementary
Standard public school
625 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Scotchtown Hills Elementary
Standard public school
589 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Montpelier Elementary
Standard public school
573 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Brock Bridge Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~659 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Forest Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Howard County Public Schools'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 Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Forest Ridge Elementary?
Forest Ridge Elementary has 659 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laurel, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Ridge Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 1% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Ridge Elementary?
34.6% of students at Forest Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Forest Ridge Elementary is African American at 42.9% of enrollment, in Laurel, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Ridge Elementary?
Forest Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Ridge Elementary rank among schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Ridge Elementary ranks #7 of 12 schools in Laurel, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Laurel on the city page.
Is Forest Ridge Elementary a good school?
Forest Ridge Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools. 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 Howard County Public Schools?
Besides Forest Ridge Elementary, Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students), Reservoir High (1,597 students), and Atholton High (1,540 students). See the Howard County Public Schools 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.