Enrollment
606
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chelsea, AL
Forest Oaks Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Forest Oaks Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010303002189
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Oaks Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Chelsea · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 23.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Oaks Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Oaks Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, AL.
School address
District: Shelby County · Alabama
NCES ID 010303002189 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Oaks Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Oaks Elementary School
Forest Oaks Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Chelsea, Alabama, enrolling 606 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.6% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 606 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 120 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Helena High School (1,383 students) alongside Forest Oaks Elementary 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 Oaks Elementary School compares
Forest Oaks Elementary 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.6% | ▼ 60% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 606 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
606
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 27% in Alabama - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,253
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 78.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
African American 7.8%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Forest Oaks Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Forest Oaks Elementary School.
$11,253
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Oaks Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chelsea High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Oaks Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,235
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary 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 (~606 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Oaks Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Forest Oaks Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby County'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 Oaks Elementary School
How many students attend Forest Oaks Elementary School?
Forest Oaks Elementary School has 606 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chelsea, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Oaks Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Oaks Elementary School is 15.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% 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 Oaks Elementary School?
23.6% of students at Forest Oaks Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Oaks Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Forest Oaks Elementary School is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Chelsea, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Oaks Elementary School?
Forest Oaks Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Oaks Elementary School rank among public schools in Chelsea?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Oaks Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chelsea on the city page.
Is Forest Oaks Elementary School a good school?
Forest Oaks Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama 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 Shelby County?
Besides Forest Oaks Elementary School, Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students), Helena High School (1,383 students), and Chelsea High School (1,235 students). See the Shelby County 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.