Enrollment
2,387
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ocala, FL
Forest High School
Federal NCES profile for Forest High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120126001271
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Ocala · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.1:1
- large classes for Florida
- 41.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest High School has class sizes larger than 92% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Ocala, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest High School
Forest High School is a large high school in Ocala, Florida, enrolling 2,387 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.1:1 is larger than about 92% of Florida schools and 41% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,387 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 221 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 398 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 602 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,387 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students) and Belleview High School (1,904 students) alongside Forest High School.
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 Forest High School compares
Forest High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.1:1 | ▲ 41% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.9% | ▼ 19% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,387 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,387
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 92% in Florida - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$10,818
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 398 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
415
in-school suspensions + 187 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 expulsions.
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 53.5%
Hispanic or Latino 22.2%
African American 16.7%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Forest High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marion, which includes Forest High School.
$10,818
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
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 Forest High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Port High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Belleview High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vanguard High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Belleview Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dunnellon High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,022
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,904
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,684
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,562
- Students per teacher
- 30:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,387 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest High School's federal record.
- Compare Forest High School against another school. Compare schools
- Marion'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 Forest High School
How many students attend Forest High School?
Forest High School has 2,387 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ocala, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest High School is 25.1:1, which is 41% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest High School?
41.9% of students at Forest High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest High School?
The largest demographic group at Forest High School is White at 53.5% of enrollment, in Ocala, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest High School?
Forest High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Forest High School rank among high schools in Ocala?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Ocala, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Ocala on the city page.
Is Forest High School a good school?
Forest High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida. 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 Marion?
Besides Forest High School, Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students), Belleview High School (1,904 students), and Vanguard High School (1,684 students). See the Marion 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.