Enrollment
906
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Florence, AL
Forest Hills School
Federal NCES profile for Forest Hills School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010153000532
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Hills School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #3 of 10
- schools in Florence · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 39.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Hills School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Hills School ranks #3 of 10 schools in Florence, AL.
School address
District: Florence City · Alabama
NCES ID 010153000532 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Hills School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Hills School
Forest Hills School is a large combined-grade school in Florence, Alabama, enrolling 906 students.
At 16.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 90% of state schools at 906 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 206 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #20, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 453 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Florence's public schools, it stands alongside Central High School (596 students): Forest Hills School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 14.9:1).
Florence City also operates Florence High School (1,101 students) and Florence Middle School (663 students) alongside Forest Hills 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 Hills School compares
Forest Hills School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.4% | ▼ 33% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 906 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
906
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 41% in Alabama - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,248
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 453 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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 65.8%
African American 16.7%
Two or More 10.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, Forest Hills School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Florence City, which includes Forest Hills School.
$13,248
Per student
+6%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 41.9%
Federal 12.9%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Florence Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hibbett School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Weeden Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harlan Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Hills School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Florence
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Central High School
Standard public school
596 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Rogers Elementary School
Standard public school
592 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Wilson High School
Standard public school
585 students 15:1 students per teacher
Wilson Elementary School
Standard public school
552 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Rogers High School
Standard public school
510 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Weeden Elementary School
Standard public school
477 students 17:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~906 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Hills School's federal record.
- Compare Forest Hills School against another school. Compare schools
- Florence City'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 School
How many students attend Forest Hills School?
Forest Hills School has 906 students enrolled. It is a public school in Florence, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Hills School?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Hills School is 16.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Hills School?
39.4% of students at Forest Hills School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Hills School?
The largest demographic group at Forest Hills School is White at 65.8% of enrollment, in Florence, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Hills School?
Forest Hills School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 School rank among schools in Florence?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Hills School ranks #3 of 10 schools in Florence, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Florence on the city page.
Is Forest Hills School a good school?
Forest Hills School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Florence City?
Besides Forest Hills School, Florence City also operates Florence High School (1,101 students), Florence Middle School (663 students), and Hibbett School (489 students). See the Florence City 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.