Enrollment
1,137
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · De Forest, WI
De Forest High
Federal NCES profile for De Forest High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550318000355
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
De Forest High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in De Forest · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 14.7%
- free-lunch eligible
De Forest High has class sizes larger than 76% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, De Forest High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in De Forest, WI.
School address
District: De Forest Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550318000355 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.7%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How De Forest High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at De Forest High
De Forest High is a lower-poverty, large high school in De Forest, Wisconsin, enrolling 1,137 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.7% free-meal eligibility runs 62% below the Wisconsin average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,137 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 120 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #68.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
De Forest Area School District also operates Harvest Intermediate School (966 students) and De Forest Middle (602 students) alongside De Forest High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How De Forest High compares
De Forest High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.7% | ▼ 62% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,137 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,137
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 76% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,625
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 80.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 3.6%
Asian 2.9%
Largest group: White at 80.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.6, De Forest High is about as mixed as the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for De Forest Area School District, which includes De Forest High.
$13,625
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.5%
State 37.8%
Federal 7.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How De Forest High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| De Forest Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Windsor Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eagle Point Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Yahara Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to De Forest High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,137 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on De Forest High's federal record.
- Compare De Forest High against another school. Compare schools
- De Forest Area School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about De Forest High
How many students attend De Forest High?
De Forest High has 1,137 students enrolled. It is a high school in De Forest, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at De Forest High?
The student-teacher ratio at De Forest High is 15.4:1, which is 7% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at De Forest High?
14.7% of students at De Forest High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of De Forest High?
The largest demographic group at De Forest High is White at 80.2% of enrollment, in De Forest, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for De Forest High?
De Forest High has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does De Forest High rank among public schools in De Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, De Forest High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in De Forest, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in De Forest on the city page.
Is De Forest High a good school?
De Forest High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in De Forest Area School District?
Besides De Forest High, De Forest Area School District also operates Harvest Intermediate School (966 students), De Forest Middle (602 students), and Windsor Elementary (526 students). See the De Forest Area School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.