Enrollment
822
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · State College, PA
Park Forest Ms
Federal NCES profile for Park Forest Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 422277006234
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Park Forest Ms earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #2 of 12
- public schools in State College · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 13.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Park Forest Ms has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Park Forest Ms ranks #2 of 12 public schools in State College, PA.
School address
District: State College Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422277006234 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Park Forest Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Park Forest Ms
Park Forest Ms is a lower-poverty, large middle school in State College, Pennsylvania, enrolling 822 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.5% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 822 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 303 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 Asian (10%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among State College's middle schools, it stands alongside Mount Nittany Ms (752 students): Park Forest Ms is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.5:1 vs 12.1:1).
State College Area Sd also operates State College Area Hs (2,402 students) and Mount Nittany Ms (752 students) alongside Park Forest Ms.
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 Park Forest Ms compares
Park Forest Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.5% | ▼ 77% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 822 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
822
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.4%
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
$20,860
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 78.2%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.2, Park Forest Ms is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for State College Area Sd, which includes Park Forest Ms.
$20,860
Per student
+16%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.4%
State 19.1%
Federal 5.5%
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 Park Forest Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| State College Area Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mount Nittany Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Radio Park El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Park Forest El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mount Nittany El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Park Forest Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,402
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in State College
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~822 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Park Forest Ms's federal record.
- Compare Park Forest Ms against another school. Compare schools
- State College Area Sd'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 Park Forest Ms
How many students attend Park Forest Ms?
Park Forest Ms has 822 students enrolled. It is a middle school in State College, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Park Forest Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Park Forest Ms is 13.5:1, which is 1% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 14% 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 Park Forest Ms?
13.5% of students at Park Forest Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Park Forest Ms?
The largest demographic group at Park Forest Ms is White at 78.2% of enrollment, in State College, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Park Forest Ms?
Park Forest Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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 Park Forest Ms rank among public schools in State College?
By Resource Investment Index, Park Forest Ms ranks #2 of 12 public schools in State College, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in State College on the city page.
Is Park Forest Ms a good school?
Park Forest Ms earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania 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 State College Area Sd?
Besides Park Forest Ms, State College Area Sd also operates State College Area Hs (2,402 students), Mount Nittany Ms (752 students), and Radio Park El Sch (424 students). See the State College Area Sd 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.