Ferndale Unified

Ferndale Unified has two schools: Ferndale Elementary, serving kindergarten through grade 8, and Ferndale High, serving grades 9–12. In 2025–2026, the elementary school had stronger all-grades math and science results, while the high school had stronger all-grades ELA; because the schools serve different grades, these are not grade-matched comparisons. The clearest shared improvement was in science: the two-school average rose 14 points from the prior year, moving from below the state rate to above it.

Ferndale Elementary stands out in math and science, with 58% proficient in math and 53% in science—20 and 17 points above the respective state rates. Its math result was 21 points above the high school’s 37%, and its science result was 29 points above the high school’s 23%. Ferndale High led in ELA, at 57% versus 52% at the elementary school, and reported a 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate, compared with state rates of 88% and 8%. The elementary school’s standout overall results do not apply to every grade: its grade 4 ELA rate was 31%, 15 points below the state. The high school’s grade 11 math result was 37%, 5 points above the state.

Average results improved relative to the state in all three subjects from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, with the largest change in science: the two-school average moved from 9 points below the state to 2 points above. SchoolDigger rated both schools three stars; the elementary school ranked in the 69th percentile statewide and the high school in the 60th. Both ended at higher percentiles than in 2023–2024, although the high school dipped to the 48th percentile in between. In 2024–2025, the high school had fewer students and a lower student–teacher ratio (145 students and 11.3, versus 338 and 19.3 at the elementary school), but the elementary school led in math and science. Reported free/reduced lunch eligible shares for that year were similar: 45.9% at the elementary school and 46.2% at the high school.