Forest Heights Elementary, Columbia SC

Original Research by School Decision on Forest Heights Elementary

Forest Heights Elementary, located in Columbia, South Carolina, is a regular public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within the Richland 01 district. A parent considering this school will find a high-poverty environment: the student population is designated as entirely economically disadvantaged under current measures, a fact that places the school in a very different peer context than schools in the area with a broader socioeconomic mix. The student body is diverse, with the largest share identifying as Black, a substantial share as Hispanic, a small share as white, and a modest share as two or more races. The school sits in the northern part of Columbia, in the 29203 zip code.

On state assessments, Forest Heights presents a mixed picture. In English language arts, third graders and fourth graders posted proficiency rates that fell near the midpoint of what one sees across the state, while fifth graders posted lower rates. In mathematics, performance declined across the grades: third graders had a solid proficiency rate, fourth graders a weaker one, and fifth graders a notably low one. Science results for fourth graders also came in on the lower end. The overall academic picture, when combined across all tested subjects and grades, places Forest Heights in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Richland County’s districts. A parent should be aware that South Carolina changed the cut scores for its ELA and science assessments in recent years, so comparing these results to older years is not straightforward.

A one-year trend is available, but with only a single year of data it is not possible to say whether performance is improving or declining. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The data shows no chronic absenteeism rate, and no information on the share of students with an IEP or who are English learners.

The neighborhood around Forest Heights has a housing market that, based on estimated home values and rents, is notably more affordable than both the South Carolina state median and the national median. The estimated monthly cost of a mortgage here is lower than typical rent, which could make homeownership an accessible option for many families. The area has seen a slight year-over-year decline in both home values and rents, which may suggest a market that is softening rather than heating up.

Columbia itself is a city defined by its major institutions: the state capital, the University of South Carolina, and Fort Jackson. The university and the state house sit close together downtown, giving the central city a combined civic and collegiate character. Outside of that core, the city spreads into suburban neighborhoods. The city has grown modestly in recent years, with downtown revitalization ongoing in areas like the Vista district. For a family at Forest Heights, the school’s setting is a residential part of the city, not the downtown core, and the affordable housing market is a practical draw.

The district did not appear to have any major recent changes or initiatives that would directly affect a parent’s assessment of the school, based on what was publicly available. A parent looking at Forest Heights should weigh the school’s very high poverty concentration and its low overall proficiency standing against the affordability of the neighborhood and the context of a large, institutionally rich city. The weaker math and science results in the upper elementary grades are an area where a parent may want to discuss supports with the school directly.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 47% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 42% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 37% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 54% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 57% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 56% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Science

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 41% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 63% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolRichland 01, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.