Enrollment
654
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wilson, NC
Forest Hills Middle
Federal NCES profile for Forest Hills Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370502002191
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Hills Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools.
- #18 of 20
- public schools in Wilson · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 92.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Hills Middle has class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Hills Middle ranks #18 of 20 public schools in Wilson, NC.
School address
District: Wilson County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370502002191 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Hills Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Hills Middle
Forest Hills Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Wilson, North Carolina, enrolling 654 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 92.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 654 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 520 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #399, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 654 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 293 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 654 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Wilson's middle schools, it stands alongside Charles H Darden Middle (378 students): Forest Hills Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.7:1 vs 14.5:1).
Wilson County Schools also operates James Hunt High (1,115 students) and Fike High (1,028 students) alongside Forest Hills Middle.
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 Hills Middle compares
Forest Hills Middle on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.7% | ▲ 40% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 654 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
654
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 85% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.6%
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
$12,063
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 654 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
134
in-school suspensions + 159 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 44.8 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
African American 61.2%
Hispanic or Latino 17.3%
White 12.1%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 3.5%
Largest group: African American at 61.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Forest Hills Middle is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilson County Schools, which includes Forest Hills Middle.
$12,063
Per student
+0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 58.4%
Federal 20.5%
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 Hills Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hunt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fike High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beddingfield High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John W Jones Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rock Ridge Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Hills Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,028
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in Wilson
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~654 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Hills Middle's federal record.
- Compare Forest Hills Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wilson County Schools'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 Hills Middle
How many students attend Forest Hills Middle?
Forest Hills Middle has 654 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wilson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Hills Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Hills Middle is 18.7:1, which is 18% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Hills Middle?
92.7% of students at Forest Hills Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Hills Middle?
The largest demographic group at Forest Hills Middle is African American at 61.2% of enrollment, in Wilson, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Hills Middle?
Forest Hills Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Forest Hills Middle rank among public schools in Wilson?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Hills Middle ranks #18 of 20 public schools in Wilson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wilson on the city page.
Is Forest Hills Middle a good school?
Forest Hills Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools. 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 Wilson County Schools?
Besides Forest Hills Middle, Wilson County Schools also operates James Hunt High (1,115 students), Fike High (1,028 students), and Beddingfield High (653 students). See the Wilson County Schools 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.