Enrollment
625
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dallas, TX
Forest Lane Academy
Federal NCES profile for Forest Lane Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483702008193
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Lane Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #207 of 232
- schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 89.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Lane Academy has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Lane Academy ranks #207 of 232 schools in Dallas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Lane Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Lane Academy
Forest Lane Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dallas, Texas, enrolling 625 students.
At 13.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 89.1% of students qualify for free meals, 44% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 625 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,939 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,597, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 625 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Richardson Isd also operates Lake Highlands H S (2,972 students) and Richardson H S (2,669 students) alongside Forest Lane Academy.
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 Lane Academy compares
Forest Lane Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.1% | ▲ 44% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 625 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
625
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 42% in Texas - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.7%
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
$11,721
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
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 625 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
African American 54.6%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%
Asian 10.7%
White 5.3%
Two or More 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 54.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.6, Forest Lane Academy is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richardson Isd, which includes Forest Lane Academy.
$11,721
Per student
-14%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.7%
State 15.3%
Federal 15.0%
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 Lane Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Highlands H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Richardson H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berkner H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pearce H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Forest Meadow J H | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Lane Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,972
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,669
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,350
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,211
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~625 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Lane Academy's federal record.
- Compare Forest Lane Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Richardson Isd'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 Lane Academy
How many students attend Forest Lane Academy?
Forest Lane Academy has 625 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dallas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Lane Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Lane Academy is 13.6:1, which is 7% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 13% lower 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 Lane Academy?
89.1% of students at Forest Lane Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Lane Academy?
The largest demographic group at Forest Lane Academy is African American at 54.6% of enrollment, in Dallas, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Lane Academy?
Forest Lane Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Lane Academy rank among schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Lane Academy ranks #207 of 232 schools in Dallas, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dallas on the city page.
Is Forest Lane Academy a good school?
Forest Lane Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas 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 Richardson Isd?
Besides Forest Lane Academy, Richardson Isd also operates Lake Highlands H S (2,972 students), Richardson H S (2,669 students), and Berkner H S (2,350 students). See the Richardson Isd 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.