Enrollment
1,211
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dallas, TX
Forest Meadow J H
Federal NCES profile for Forest Meadow J H, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483702004132
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Meadow J H earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #38 of 52
- middle schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for Texas
- 64.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Meadow J H has class sizes larger than 87% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Meadow J H ranks #38 of 52 middle schools in Dallas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Meadow J H compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Meadow J H
Forest Meadow J H is a higher-need, large middle school in Dallas, Texas, enrolling 1,211 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.1:1 is larger than about 87% of Texas schools and 23% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.9% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,211 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 585 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #168.
Its student body is led by African American (33%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Discipline events run high: 280 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,211 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 39 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 Meadow J H.
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 Meadow J H compares
Forest Meadow J H on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.1:1 | ▲ 23% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.9% | ▲ 5% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,211 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,211
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in Texas - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
146
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 39 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 33.4%
Hispanic or Latino 32.9%
White 20.0%
Asian 11.0%
Two or More 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 33.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.8, Forest Meadow J H 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 Meadow J H.
$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 Meadow J H Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Highlands H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richardson H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Berkner H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pearce H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lake Highlands J H | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Meadow J H'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
- 1,114
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,211 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Meadow J H's federal record.
- Compare Forest Meadow J H 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 Meadow J H
How many students attend Forest Meadow J H?
Forest Meadow J H has 1,211 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dallas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Meadow J H?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Meadow J H is 18.1:1, which is 23% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Meadow J H?
64.9% of students at Forest Meadow J H are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Meadow J H?
The largest demographic group at Forest Meadow J H is African American at 33.4% of enrollment, in Dallas, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Meadow J H?
Forest Meadow J H has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Meadow J H rank among middle schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Meadow J H ranks #38 of 52 middle 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 middle schools in Dallas on the city page.
Is Forest Meadow J H a good school?
Forest Meadow J H earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Richardson Isd?
Besides Forest Meadow J H, 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.