Forest Municipal School Dist

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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Forest, Mississippi - 3 schools

An equity score of 34/100 ranks Forest Municipal School Dist #112 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,331 per pupil, Forest Municipal School Dist ranks #105 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,645
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$10,331
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Forest Municipal School Dist operates 3 public schools serving 1,645 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Scott County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,331 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending. See how Mississippi compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 31.1% local, 43.6% state, and 25.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 34/100, ranked #112 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 546:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 34.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 50.7% Hispanic or Latino, 38.9% African American, 7.3% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Forest High School, with a diversity index of 59.0/100.

Its largest campus is Forest Elementary School, enrolling 740 students (45% of the district's total enrollment).

Forest Elementary School accounts for 45.0% of all Forest Municipal School Dist student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Forest Municipal School Dist-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Forest Municipal School Dist has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Forest Municipal School Dist student-counselor ratio is 546:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Forest Municipal School Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 34.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

25.4%
Federal
43.6%
State
31.1%
Local

Funding Equity

34
Equity Score
112 / 146
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Forest Municipal School Dist.

White 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 50.7%
African American 38.9%
Multiracial 2.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 58.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Forest Municipal School Dist's schools, above the Mississippi average of 41.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Forest High School 59.0
  2. 2 Hawkins Middle School 58.5
  3. 3 Forest Elementary School 57.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
546:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
34.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Forest Municipal School Dist

School Enrollment
Forest Elementary School
740
Hawkins Middle School
460
Forest High School
438

How Forest Municipal School Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Mississippi districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Columbia School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Greene County School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Western Line School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Senatobia Municipal School Dist Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Tunica County School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Forest Municipal School Dist's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Mississippi

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Desoto Co School Dist
35,003 students · 42 schools · $8,778/pupil
Compare vs Forest Municipal School Dist →
Rankin Co School Dist
18,720 students · 28 schools · $10,533/pupil
Compare vs Forest Municipal School Dist →
Jackson Public School District
18,710 students · 54 schools · $12,155/pupil
Compare vs Forest Municipal School Dist →
Harrison Co School Dist
14,355 students · 24 schools · $10,042/pupil
Compare vs Forest Municipal School Dist →
Madison Co School Dist
13,162 students · 23 schools · $11,127/pupil
Compare vs Forest Municipal School Dist →

Compare Forest Municipal School Dist

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Desoto Co School Dist →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Forest Municipal School Dist?

Forest Municipal School Dist has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,645 students.

How much does Forest Municipal School Dist spend per student?

Forest Municipal School Dist spends $10,331 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #112 in Mississippi.

What is the demographic composition of Forest Municipal School Dist?

Forest Municipal School Dist students are 50.7% Hispanic or Latino, 38.9% African American, 7.3% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Forest Municipal School Dist?

Forest Municipal School Dist has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #112 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.