Cardinal Forest Elementary

Cardinal Forest Elementary operates as a reasonably sized elementary-level community in Springfield, Virginia, part of Fairfax County Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 680 students spanning grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 499 students per school, that is 36% bigger than typical.

Cardinal Forest Elementary is one of 199 schools operated by Fairfax County Public Schools, a district that hosts 179,323 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Cardinal Forest Elementary lists that 43% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school logs 24% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 12% Black, 6% multiracial.

On the resource side, The school employs 55 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.4:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.8:1 average. An estimated 31% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, Cardinal Forest Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 79.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 76.2%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Fairfax County) shows that median household earnings sit near $153,637, 65% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 4%. Cardinal Forest Elementary is one of 222 public schools in Fairfax County (combined enrollment of about 174,475 students).

The closest other public school is West Springfield High, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Cardinal Forest Elementary at 8th of 9; the average score across the group is 81.7%.

Cardinal Forest Elementary operates from a suburban location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Cardinal Forest Elementary has grew 8%, going from 629 students in 2018 to 680 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 28% to 24% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 15.3:1 in 2018 to 12.4:1 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.