Enrollment
349
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hattiesburg, MS
North Forrest High School
Federal NCES profile for North Forrest High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280149000218
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Forrest High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Mississippi schools.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Hattiesburg · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 86.0%
- free-lunch eligible
North Forrest High School has class sizes smaller than 92% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Forrest High School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Hattiesburg, MS.
School address
District: Forrest County School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280149000218 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Forrest High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Forrest High School
North Forrest High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, enrolling 349 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.7:1, North Forrest High School is leaner than roughly 92% of Mississippi schools and 27% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 86.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 349 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 366 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #235.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and White (18%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 997 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 30.6% 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.
Among Hattiesburg's public schools, it stands alongside Bellevue Elementary School (1,145 students): North Forrest High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.7:1 vs 12.3:1).
Forrest County School District also operates South Forrest Attendance Center (604 students) and Dixie Attendance Center (487 students) alongside North Forrest High 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 North Forrest High School compares
North Forrest High School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.7:1 | ▼ 27% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.0% | ▲ 7% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 349 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
349
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 8% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.8%
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
$13,333
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 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 63.0%
White 17.5%
Two or More 10.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 63.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, North Forrest High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forrest County School District, which includes North Forrest High School.
$13,333
Per student
+11%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 38.9%
Federal 30.6%
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 North Forrest High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Forrest Attendance Center | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie Attendance Center | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earl Travillion Attendance Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rawls Springs Attendance Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Forrest Attendance Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Forrest High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 261
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 8.2:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 209
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Hattiesburg
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Bellevue Elementary School
Standard public school
1,145 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Longleaf Elementary
Standard public school
787 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Oak Grove Elementary
Standard public school
758 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Dixie Attendance Center
Standard public school
487 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Rawls Springs Attendance Center
Standard public school
214 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~349 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Forrest High School's federal record.
- Compare North Forrest High School against another school. Compare schools
- Forrest County School District'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 North Forrest High School
How many students attend North Forrest High School?
North Forrest High School has 349 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hattiesburg, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Forrest High School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Forrest High School is 9.7:1, which is 27% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 38% 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 North Forrest High School?
86.0% of students at North Forrest High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Forrest High School?
The largest demographic group at North Forrest High School is African American at 63.0% of enrollment, in Hattiesburg, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Forrest High School?
North Forrest High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does North Forrest High School rank among schools in Hattiesburg?
By Resource Investment Index, North Forrest High School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Hattiesburg, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hattiesburg on the city page.
Is North Forrest High School a good school?
North Forrest High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Mississippi 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 Forrest County School District?
Besides North Forrest High School, Forrest County School District also operates South Forrest Attendance Center (604 students), Dixie Attendance Center (487 students), and Earl Travillion Attendance Center (261 students). See the Forrest County School District 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.