Enrollment
854
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Forest, VA
Forest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Forest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510036002174
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Middle earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Forest · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 20.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Forest, VA.
School address
District: Bedford County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510036002174 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Middle
Forest Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Forest, Virginia, enrolling 854 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.1% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 854 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 300 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #41.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and African American (7%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Bedford County Public Schools also operates Jefferson Forest High (1,282 students) and Staunton River High (816 students) alongside Forest 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 Middle compares
Forest Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.1% | ▼ 65% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 854 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
854
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Virginia - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,790
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
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 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.1 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 77.8%
African American 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 77.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.2, Forest Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bedford County Public Schools, which includes Forest Middle.
$12,790
Per student
-13%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.1%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.7%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Forest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Staunton River High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Staunton River Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~854 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Forest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Bedford County Public 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 Middle
How many students attend Forest Middle?
Forest Middle has 854 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Forest, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Middle is 14.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Middle?
20.1% of students at Forest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Forest Middle is White at 77.8% of enrollment, in Forest, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Middle?
Forest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Middle rank among public schools in Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Forest, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Forest on the city page.
Is Forest Middle a good school?
Forest Middle earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia 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 Bedford County Public Schools?
Besides Forest Middle, Bedford County Public Schools also operates Jefferson Forest High (1,282 students), Staunton River High (816 students), and Liberty High (708 students). See the Bedford County Public 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.