High school (grades 9-12) · Cumming, GA

West Forsyth High School

Federal NCES profile for West Forsyth High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130222003354
0/100100/10042/100
👥 S:T ratio
19
📚 AP courses
100
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

West Forsyth High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Georgia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Georgia.

#5 of 5
high schools in Cumming · Resource Index
42
Resource Index · Typical
20.3:1
large classes for Georgia
7.1%
free-lunch eligible

West Forsyth High School has class sizes larger than 97% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, West Forsyth High School ranks #5 of 5 high schools in Cumming, GA.

School address

Enrollment

2,503

Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

123.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

20.3:1

vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg

+41% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

7.1%

vs 60.7% Georgia avg

-88% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How West Forsyth High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at West Forsyth High School

West Forsyth High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Cumming, Georgia, enrolling 2,503 students.

Class loads run heavy: 20.3:1 is larger than about 97% of Georgia schools and 41% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.1% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the Georgia average.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,503 students.

Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.

Among 53 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #53, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by White (64%) and Asian (15%) (diversity index 55/100).

On the academic-pipeline side it reports 25 Advanced Placement courses.

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 501 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Forsyth County spends $10,928 per pupil, 21% below the Georgia average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Cumming's high schools, it stands alongside South Forsyth High School (2,634 students): West Forsyth High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.3:1 vs 20.9:1).

Forsyth County also operates Lambert High School (3,249 students) and South Forsyth High School (2,634 students) alongside West Forsyth 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 West Forsyth High School compares

West Forsyth High School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Georgia Georgia avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 20.3:1 ▲ 41% 14.4:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 7.1% ▼ 88% 60.7% 51.7%
Enrollment 2,503 top 1% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,503
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
7.1%
free-lunch eligible - 88% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
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
20.3:1
students per teacher - 41% above state mean
Top 97% in Georgia - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,928
per pupil, district-wide - below Georgia avg of $13,863
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 501 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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

White 64.0%
Asian 14.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
African American 4.9%
Two or More 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 55.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, West Forsyth High School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.

Programs

AP courses offered 25
Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forsyth County, which includes West Forsyth High School.

$10,928
Per student
-21%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.6%
State 38.4%
Federal 7.0%

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 West Forsyth High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Lambert High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
South Forsyth High School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Denmark High School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Forsyth Central High School Similar size Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
North Forsyth High School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to West Forsyth High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Forsyth County · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar high schools in Cumming

4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.

Similar high schools statewide

Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on West Forsyth High School's federal record.

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 West Forsyth High School

How many students attend West Forsyth High School?

West Forsyth High School has 2,503 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cumming, GA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at West Forsyth High School?

The student-teacher ratio at West Forsyth High School is 20.3:1, which is 41% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Forsyth High School?

7.1% of students at West Forsyth High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Forsyth High School?

The largest demographic group at West Forsyth High School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Cumming, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for West Forsyth High School?

West Forsyth High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 West Forsyth High School rank among high schools in Cumming?

By Resource Investment Index, West Forsyth High School ranks #5 of 5 high schools in Cumming, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Cumming on the city page.

Is West Forsyth High School a good school?

West Forsyth High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Georgia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Georgia. 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 Forsyth County?

Besides West Forsyth High School, Forsyth County also operates Lambert High School (3,249 students), South Forsyth High School (2,634 students), and Denmark High School (2,527 students). See the Forsyth County district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved

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.