Forest High School
Address
5000 Southeast Maricamp Road

Ocala
,
Marion
,
Florida
34480

United States
Coordinates29°08′39″N 82°03′59″W / 29.1441446°N 82.0664781°W / 29.1441446; -82.0664781
Information
School typePublic secondary
Established15 August 1969 (1969-08-15)
School districtMarion County Public Schools
SuperintendentDiane Gullett
CEEB code101258
PrincipalLamar Rembert 
Teaching staff95.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment2,195 (2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio23.11[1]
Color(s)Green, Gold & White    
MascotWildcat
RivalVanguard High School
AccreditationFlorida State Department of Education
Websitewww.marionschools.net/fhs

Forest High School is a school in Ocala, Florida, United States. It has an EMIT (engineering) program. The school's colors are green and gold and the school mascot is the Wildcat. As of 2014, it had an enrollment of some 2,058.

Forest High School moved to its current location on Maricamp Road, southeast of the city limits of Ocala, in 2005. The school was originally on Fort King Street in Ocala, at the 1959 campus of Ocala High School. Prior to 1965, the school was for white students only. In 1965, a group of 34 students from the nearby black school, Howard High School began attending. In 1969 the courts mandated the schools became fully integrated and Howard was closed. Vanguard High School was opened the same year, and the Marion County School Board put to rest the name Ocala High School.[2]

Forest High School belongs to the Marion County School District.

Programs

Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology (EMIT)

EMIT is a four-year magnet engineering program at Forest High School. EMIT aims to teach its students engineering fundamentals to prepare them for postsecondary colleges or universities in engineering. The curriculum is heavily project-based that often includes problem-solving tasks which must be built and later presented to teachers. These projects typically cover the basics of many engineering disciplines, including civil engineering, aerospace engineering, and more.

EMIT was created from a $1.2 million Florida Department of Education grant in 1994. An application is required to be considered for admission.

Shooting

On April 20, 2018, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre, a 19-year-old former student went on school premises armed with a shotgun and wearing a black tactical vest. The perpetrator, later identified as Sky Bouche, smuggled the gun into school in a guitar case. He shot once through a classroom door and hit one student in his ankle. Immediately after, he surrendered to the school staff. In 2021, Bouche was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, with the possibility of parole only after 25 years, followed by an additional 30 years of probationary release.[3]

Notable alumni

Wildcat Band

The FHS Band Program has a rich and long tradition of excellence as Florida's oldest High School Band, tracing its history back to Historic Ocala High School (the name was changed in 1969 to Forest High School). Founded in 1922 by Mrs. Browne' Greaton Cole, she has the distinction of being both the first School Band Director in the state of Florida and the first female director, earning her the title "Mother of School Bands". In 1928, the Ocala High School Band participated in the first State Band Competition held in Lakeland, Florida, taking first place at the competition. the next year it was held in Ocala with 10 bands attending (doubling the number of bands from the previous year) taking second place at this competition. In 1933, the Band was invited to perform at the Gasparilla Parade (now a part of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival), the first time a band had ever been invited to participate. The Band returned home with the First Prize Trophy. In 1936, The Florida Bandmasters Association was formed with Mrs. Cole as a charter member. The band participated with Mrs. Cole at all FBA State events (except for 2 years during the WWII) through her retirement in 1944. Since then, the Forest High/Ocala High School Band has maintained a High Standard of Excellence laid out by our first Director. The auditorium at the "Old" Ocala/Forest High School (now Marion Technical Institute) is named in honor of Mrs. Cole. In 2016, she was posthumously inducted into the FBA Hall of Fame. The Band, which she started, is currently in its 100th Season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FOREST HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  2. ↑ Fillmore, Andy. "Howard High class of 1968 remembers good times, challenges of integration". Ocala Star Banner. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. ↑ Cutway, Adrienne. "Man who shot student at Forest High School sentenced to 30 years in prison". ClickOrlando. Retrieved 21 Sep 2021.
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