Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 117 schools in district

Forest Park Elementary School

5535 Sandalwood Blvd, Columbus, OH 43229Columbus City Schools District →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–05Non-Charter
380
Students
Total enrolled
$22,434
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 56% vs nat'l
20.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 30% vs nat'l
38/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 25% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 380 students in grades PK–05 in Columbus, Ohio.
56% above average funding
District spends $22,434 per pupil, 56% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 38th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Forest Park Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary in Columbus, Ohio, serving grades PK–05 with 380 students. The district invests $22,434 per student — 56% above the national average of $14,347, with a 20.0:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. A neighborhood opportunity score of 38/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Forest Park Elementary School

380
Total Students
20.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
—
Free Lunch
19
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution196 male · 184 female
52%
48%
Male 52%Female 48%
Student Composition
9%
25%
50%
9%
Asian7%
White9%
Hispanic / Latino25%
Black50%
Multiracial9%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 390438004316

Academic Outcomes at Forest Park Elementary School

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
38
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 38th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 18th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 43229

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$22,434Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$22,434
State avg
$17,120
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$9,871
Student Support$4,262
Administration$2,692
Operations$3,365
Other$2,243
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $22,434 spent per student, an estimated $9,938 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
20%
61%
State government
19.8%
Local (property tax)
61.4%
Federal programs
18.9%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $22,434/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Indianola Informal K-8 SchoolBerwick Alternative K-8 SchoolStarling PK-8Liberty Elementary School
+5 more
↓
Middle
Woodward Park Middle SchoolDominion Middle SchoolArts Impact Middle School (Aims)Wedgewood Middle School
+2 more
↓
High School
Briggs High SchoolWhetstone High SchoolNorthland High SchoolSouth High School
+11 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 05
Location—
CountyFranklin County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictColumbus City Schools District →
Phone: (614)365-5337
NCES ID: 390438004316
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Columbus seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Columbus City Schools District
High
Briggs High School
980 students · 09–12
● 33 opp
High
Whetstone High School
976 students · 09–12
● 47 opp
High
Northland High School
904 students · 09–12
● 38 opp
High
South High School
903 students · 07–12
● 30 opp
High
West High School
837 students · 09–12
● 42 opp
Mid
Woodward Park Middle School
827 students · 06–08
● 38 opp
High
Linden-McKinley STEM Academy
776 students · 07–12
● 29 opp
High
Columbus Alternative High School
758 students · 09–12
● 29 opp
District School Rankings
Location
5535 Sandalwood Blvd, Columbus, OH 43229
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.