Forest High School is a school in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

, United States. It has an EMIT (

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

) 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 Black schools, also referred to as "colored" schools, were racially segregated schools in the United States that originated after the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. The phenomenon began in the late 1860s during Reconstruction era ...

Howard High School Howard High School may refer to: * David T. Howard High School, a former high school in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. * Howard High School of Technology Howard High School of Technology is a vocational-technical high school in Wilmington, Delaware and is ...

began attending. In 1969 the courts mandated the schools became fully integrated and Howard was closed.

Vanguard High School Vanguard High School is one of seven public high schools in Marion County, Florida. The school serves the northeast area of Ocala, Florida. Vanguard offers the International Baccalaureate program, which accepts students from across Marion County ...

was opened the same year, and the Marion County School Board put to rest the name Ocala High School. 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 On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...

, a 19-year-old former student went on school premises armed with a shotgun and wearing 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, he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment (with the possibility of

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

after 25 years) and additional 30 years

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...

ary once he is released from jail.

Notable alumni

Tony Beckham Antonio Dwight Beckham (born October 1, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in ...

– football cornerback *

Scot Brantley Scot Eugene Brantley (born February 24, 1958) is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 198 ...

– linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Buccaneers of the NFL *

C. Farris Bryant Cecil Farris Bryant (July 26, 1914 – March 1, 2002) was an American politician serving as the 34th Governor of Florida. He also served on the United States National Security Council as director of the Office of Emergency Planning during t ...

–

Governor of Florida A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

from 1961 to 1965 *

Judd Davis Judd Dillon Davis (born c. 1973) is an American former football player who was the 1993 recipient of the Lou Groza Award recognizing the best placekicker in college football. Davis grew up in Ocala, Florida. He attended Forest High School ...

– football place-kicker * Jonathan Johnson – Major League Baseball pitcher * Mike Sullivan – professional golfer on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and the Champions Tour *

Mava Lee Thomas Mava Lee Thomas ��′Tommie′′(September 1, 1929 – August 6, 2013) was an infielder and catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. Born in Ocala, Florida, ...

– All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player *

Rick Tuten Richard Lamar Tuten (January 5, 1965 – June 13, 2017) was an American football punter in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. He punted the ball 108 times in 1992, tied for fourth-most in a seas ...

– punter in the National Football League *

Tyrone Young Tyrone Donnive Young (April 29, 1960 – October 15, 2015) was an American college and professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1980s. Young played ...

– wide receiver in the National Football League *

Alex Shelnutt A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of met ...

- drummer of American rock band

A Day To Remember A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...

Reid Nichols Thomas Reid Nichols (born August 5, 1958) is a former outfielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox (1980–1985), Chicago White Sox (1985–1986), and Montreal Expos (1987). Listed at and , he batted and ...

- outfielder Boston Red Sox *

Erin Jackson Erin Jackson (born September 19, 1992) is an American speed skater, roller derby player, and Olympic gold medalist. Jackson is the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. She qualified for The World Games 2 ...

- American Olympic speedskater

References

External links

Forest High School Website
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Ocala, Florida High schools in Marion County, Florida Educational institutions established in 1969 Public high schools in Florida 1969 establishments in Florida