1
What's the one class at Forest School every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
428
Elementary
DISTRICT 371 · STATE 378
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WEST HAVEN SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 090495001035
Forest School
95 Burwell Rd., West Haven, CT 06516 · (203) 931-6800 · South Central Connecticut Planning Region
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL428 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
10.9:1
39 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 10.7:1 · STATE 12.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
63%
269 students
DISTRICT 59% · STATE 44%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 25 | 6% |
| Kindergarten | 69 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 92 | 21% |
| Grade 2 | 76 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 78 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 88 | 21% |
This year's kindergarten class (69) is 22% smaller than its 4th grade class (88).
Student demographics
65%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 71% · STATE 67% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within West Haven School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
CT Smarter Balanced 2024-25 . % Met or Exceeded StandardEnglish Language Arts
30.0%
CT avg 50.5%
Math
37.5%
CT avg 45.9%
What this means: On the CT Smarter Balanced, Connecticut's statewide test, about 30 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 38 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Connecticut schools, those numbers are about 51 and 46.
Source: CT Smarter Balanced. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Forest School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest School this school | 428 | 62.9% | N/A |
| Riverside Magnet School at Goodwin University East Hartford | 481 | 56.8% | N/A |
| Dr. Thomas S. O'Connell School East Hartford | 519 | 57.6% | N/A |
| Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School Bridgeport | 492 | 69.5% | N/A |
| Reggio Magnet School of the Arts Avon | 511 | 59.7% | N/A |
| Bowers School Manchester | 376 | 67.0% | N/A |
Matched among Connecticut elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Forest School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Connecticut | In South Central Connecticut Planning Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 37.5% | #338 of 522 | #51 of 87 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 30.0% | #398 of 519 | #59 of 86 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 428 | #207 of 613 | #27 of 96 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.9:1 | #106 of 558 | #19 of 91 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 65.2% | #112 of 560 | #19 of 92 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 62.9% | #175 of 594 | #38 of 96 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.9% | #161 of 176 | #28 of 32 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
428
+30 (+8%) vs 2020
-28% since 1990-91, when it was 597
Student : Teacher
10.9:1
was 12.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 428 | 39.2 | 10.9:1 | 63% (269) |
| 2023-24 | 439 | 39 | 11.3:1 | 66% (289) |
| 2022-23 | 410 | 38.4 | 10.7:1 | 68% (278) |
| 2020-21 | 398 | 33 | 12.1:1 | 74% (294) |
| 2017-18 | 424 | 34.4 | 12.3:1 | 76% (321) |
| 2015-16 | 461 | 35 | 13.2:1 | 74% (342) |
| 2010-11 | 464 | 31 | 15.0:1 | 75% (350) |
| 2000-01 | 600 | 37 | 16.2:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 597 | 31 | 19.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Forest School.
Since 2017-18: students up 1% (424 to 428); teachers up 14% (34.4 to 39.2).
About Forest School
At 95 Burwell Rd. in West Haven, Connecticut, Forest School operates as a mid-sized elementary school. The school counted 428 students in 2024-25, covering pre-K through 4.
Forest School is among 9 schools run by West Haven School District, which serves 5,751 students.
The student body at Forest School has no majority group. Hispanic students lead at 50%. Other groups make up 28% Black, 15% White, 4% Asian, and 4% multiracial. South Central Connecticut Planning Region as a whole is about 20% Hispanic, so the school's share is higher. The diversity index for Forest School is 65%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Classroom staffing at Forest School totals 39.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 10.9:1. Elementary schools in Connecticut average 12.6:1, 1.7 more students per teacher than here. Roughly 63% of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. It compares with 51% for public schools in South Central Connecticut Planning Region.
In South Central Connecticut Planning Region, where the school is located, median household income comes to about $88,197, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 42%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. There are 152 public schools in the county, enrolling about 72,909, Forest School among them.
Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate School is the nearest public school to Forest School, about 0.5 miles away. Forest School is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles.
Federal records code the school's setting as Suburb: Large.
An 8% rise took enrollment from 398 in 2020-21 to 428 in 2024-25. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 12.1:1; by 2024-25 it was 10.9:1.
Use the discussion section to ask about open houses, carpools, and field trips at Forest School. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
570,598
Census ACS
Median income
$88,197
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
42%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
152
72,909 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in West Haven School District
- West Haven High SchoolHigh · 1,813 students
- Harry M. Bailey Middle SchoolMiddle · 885 students
- Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 829 students
- Savin Rock Community SchoolElementary · 459 students
- Alma E. Pagels SchoolElementary · 364 students
- Seth G. Haley SchoolElementary · 332 students
Other schools in West Haven
- West Haven High SchoolHigh · 1,813 students
- Harry M. Bailey Middle SchoolMiddle · 885 students
- Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 829 students
- Engineering - Science University Magnet SchoolHigh · 608 students
- Savin Rock Community SchoolElementary · 459 students
- Alma E. Pagels SchoolElementary · 364 students
Other Forest schools
One other US public school is named Forest. Forest School is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Forest SchoolForest, LA · 460 students
Nearby schools
- Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate School0.5 mi · 829
- Engineering - Science University Magnet School0.6 mi · 608
- Barnard Environmental Magnet School1.1 mi · 496
- Edgewood School1.4 mi · 397
- Truman School1.5 mi · 460
- Hill Regional Career High School1.5 mi · 625
Frequently asked questions
About Forest SchoolHow many students attend Forest School?
Forest School enrolls approximately 428 students in grades PK-04.
Is Forest School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Forest School is an elementary school covering grades PK-04.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Forest School is approximately 10.9:1 (39 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Forest School?
At Forest School, the student body is approximately 15% White, 50% Hispanic, 28% Black, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is Forest School public or private?
Forest School is a public K-12 school, overseen by West Haven School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.