Enrollment
497
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dallas, TX
Forestridge El
Federal NCES profile for Forestridge El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483702004133
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forestridge El earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #18 of 232
- schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Texas
- 84.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Forestridge El has class sizes smaller than 78% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forestridge El ranks #18 of 232 schools in Dallas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forestridge El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forestridge El
Forestridge El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dallas, Texas, enrolling 497 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 84.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 497 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 2,168 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #44, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (32%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 3 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 Forestridge El.
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 Forestridge El compares
Forestridge El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.3% | ▲ 36% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 497 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
497
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 22% in Texas - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 32.4%
Hispanic or Latino 30.2%
Asian 27.4%
White 6.4%
Two or More 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 32.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.4, Forestridge El 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 Forestridge El.
$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 Forestridge El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Highlands H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest Meadow J H | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forestridge El'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 (~497 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forestridge El's federal record.
- Compare Forestridge El 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 Forestridge El
How many students attend Forestridge El?
Forestridge El has 497 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dallas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forestridge El?
The student-teacher ratio at Forestridge El is 11.8:1, which is 20% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 25% 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 Forestridge El?
84.3% of students at Forestridge El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forestridge El?
The largest demographic group at Forestridge El is African American at 32.4% of enrollment, in Dallas, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forestridge El?
Forestridge El has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Forestridge El rank among schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, Forestridge El ranks #18 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 Forestridge El a good school?
Forestridge El earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Forestridge El, 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.