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Ferndale Elementary

Q: Is Ferndale Elementary a good school?

Ferndale Elementary ranks 2047 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

2047^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of California elementary schools

Summary

Ferndale Elementary is a K-8 public school serving 338 students in the rural Ferndale Unified district, and it stands out for its remarkable and steady improvement over the past seven years.

The school's greatest strengths are in mathematics, where student proficiency significantly outpaces the state average and most nearby schools like Cuddeback Elementary and Hydesville Elementary, and in its exceptional success at getting students to school regularly, having slashed chronic absenteeism to well below state and district averages. This consistent upward trend, achieved with moderate per-student spending compared to schools such as South Bay Charter, suggests very efficient and effective operations. Furthermore, Ferndale Elementary is particularly effective at supporting economically disadvantaged students relative to its resources, outperforming other local schools with similar poverty rates.

While the school excels in many areas, there is a noticeable performance gap between female and male students, and science scores, though above average, are not as strong as math and show a decline in middle school grades. Compared to the wide spectrum of school performance in the area—from top-performing Stanwood A. Murphy Elementary to struggling Loleta Elementary—Ferndale Elementary represents a compelling success story of sustained growth and effective education in a rural community.

338

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$31,548

Per pupil spending ?

45.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

164 Shaw Ave.
Ferndale, CA 95536-9781

(707) 786-5300

District: Ferndale Unified

Students who attend Ferndale Elementary usually attend:

High:

Ferndale High

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.8%

Hispanic:

18.9%

American Indian:

4.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Ferndale Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2015 → 65th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (52% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 20 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the California median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg48%

California avg41%

Elementary school

2,047^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 20 pts since 2015

From bottom 45% (2015) to top 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

592^nd of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 29 pts since 2015

From top 50% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

487^th of 1,543Ferndale Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.3	2047 of 5857	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.0	2066 of 5869	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.8	2238 of 5859	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.1	2384 of 5883	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.6	840 of 1417	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.8	3553 of 5789	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.8	4107 of 5662	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	32.4	3645 of 5692	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.5	2986 of 5614	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.1	3063 of 5611	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.8	3264 of 5530	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.0	2621 of 5390	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	49.6	2619 of 5377	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	55.8	2232 of 5314	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.0	1918 of 5193	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.5	1920 of 5113	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.7	1528 of 5113	70.1%	★★★★☆
2006	70.7	1299 of 4818	73.0%	★★★★☆
2005	73.3	1197 of 4822	75.2%	★★★★☆
2004	72.9	1194 of 4809	75.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	1588 of 5597	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	1516 of 5612	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	55.5	2149 of 5609	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.4	2616 of 5635	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	655 of 1267	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.9	2929 of 5492	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.9	3609 of 5413	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	16.1	4458 of 4830	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	2382 of 5460	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	2557 of 5517	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.0	3227 of 5363	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.8	2412 of 5264	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.9	611 of 1110	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.4	2652 of 5173	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.1	3460 of 5084	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.0	2734 of 5628	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	2725 of 5643	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.9	2230 of 5638	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	1967 of 5663	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.7	793 of 1272	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.9	3870 of 5510	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	4308 of 5431	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	1594 of 2598	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.6	1767 of 2651	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.9	1750 of 2661	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.2	1950 of 2726	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.6	2519 of 2834	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.3	2499 of 2737	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.5	592 of 2761	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.7	752 of 2783	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	52.9	1081 of 2781	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.8	921 of 2740	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.9	518 of 894	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.4	1166 of 2715	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.9	965 of 2480	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.0	820 of 2508	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	34.5	1508 of 2497	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	44.0	1238 of 2477	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.1	896 of 2379	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	80.4	285 of 2259	87.4%	★★★★☆
2011	77.9	342 of 2236	84.7%	★★★★☆
2010	74.3	446 of 2179	79.5%	★★★★☆
2009	77.7	332 of 2063	83.9%	★★★★☆
2008	77.7	324 of 2005	83.8%	★★★★☆
2007	90.1	125 of 1999	93.7%	★★★★★
2006	74.5	384 of 1804	78.7%	★★★★☆
2005	84.8	204 of 1777	88.5%	★★★★☆
2004	78.9	305 of 1769	82.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.6	606 of 2533	76.1%	★★★★☆
2024	66.7	690 of 2551	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	53.7	967 of 2531	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.6	548 of 2509	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	48.9	333 of 738	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.2	1229 of 2380	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.3	867 of 2262	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	31.6	1569 of 2374	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	572 of 2542	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	63.9	664 of 2579	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	49.2	1049 of 2531	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.7	537 of 2458	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	45.7	347 of 721	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.3	1066 of 2369	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	944 of 2230	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.0	548 of 2534	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	64.3	732 of 2552	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	50.7	1045 of 2538	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.1	1163 of 2527	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.5	472 of 763	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.4	954 of 2407	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.9	962 of 2273	57.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.1	644 of 1520	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.2	786 of 1537	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	887 of 1543	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.4	875 of 1555	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.5	1122 of 1602	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.6	782 of 1496	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Female (2025)72nd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2025)51st percentile-14 vs school

White (2025)39th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2018)8th percentile-20 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)78th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)77th percentile~ school

Female (2025)76th percentile~ school

White (2025)58th percentile-21 vs school

Hispanic (2023)34th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics58%+21 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy51%~ state avg

Science38%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ferndale Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ferndale Elementary	Public	K-8	164 Shaw Ave.	Ferndale	95536	Humboldt County	Ferndale Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 786-5300	338	17	19.3	45.9%	246 (72.8%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (18.9%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	60.3	2047^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.1%		60	2066^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.8%	19	46.5	24.1	37.5	31.6	50.0	52.4	45.7	61.1	70.0	51.2	39.5	69.4	44.2	45.7	86.1	70.0	58.3	90.2		92.7				$31,548	$30,144	$1,404
Loleta Elementary	Public	K-8	700 Loleta Dr.	Loleta	95551	Humboldt County	Loleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 733-5705	82	5	16.4	85.4%	12 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (46.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (36.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)								(n/a)		0.0	0.0						9.1	7.3						18.2	7.5							$47,876	$44,684	$3,192
Linell K. Walker Elementary	Public	K-4	2089 Newburg Rd.	Fortuna	95540	Humboldt County	Fortuna Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 725-2519	256	13	19.6	84.0%	102 (39.8%)	1 (0.4%)	130 (50.8%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.4%)	18.4	4971^st of 5857 public elementary schools	15.1%		20.6	4803^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	18.2%	168				35.1	17.9					26.6	29.8	7.1					18.6	88.1			94.0			$32,198	$30,022	$2,176
Redwood Preparatory Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1480 Ross Hill Rd.	Fortuna	95540	Humboldt County	Redwood Preparatory Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 682-6149	236	10	23.6	44.9%	150 (63.6%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (20.8%)	7 (3.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.9%)	62.4	1944^th of 5857 public elementary schools	66.8%		59.1	2105^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.1%	161	39.1	41.7	40.4	36.0	58.3	34.8	66.7	86.4	54.2	55.6	52.0	58.3	30.4	62.5	59.1	45.8	51.4
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary	Public	K-4	3850 Rohnerville Rd.	Fortuna	95540	Humboldt County	Fortuna Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 725-4688	282	14	20.1	75.5%	145 (51.4%)	1 (0.4%)	91 (32.3%)	5 (1.8%)	17 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.2%)	30.1	3949^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.6%		35	3520^th of 5869 public elementary schools	40.0%	429				30.6	26.1					28.8	38.9	32.6					36.4	95.0						$28,963	$26,954	$2,009
Hydesville Elementary	Public	K-8	3050 Johnson Rd.	Hydesville	95547	Humboldt County	Hydesville Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 768-3610	220	9	24.4	51.8%	166 (75.5%)	1 (0.5%)	28 (12.7%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.1%)	49.8	2601^st of 5857 public elementary schools	55.6%		64.5	1852^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	68.4%	749	16.0	60.0	35.6	53.6	32.0	32.0	72.7	59.3	55.0	50.3	50.0	40.0	36.0	40.9	51.9	60.0	46.3							$29,738	$28,094	$1,644
Eagle Prairie Elementary	Public	K-5	95 Center St.	Rio Dell	95562	Humboldt County	Rio Dell Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 764-5694	223	12	18.2	63.7%	146 (65.5%)	1 (0.4%)	49 (22.0%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.9%)	74.6	1390^th of 5857 public elementary schools	76.3%		57.8	2157^th of 5869 public elementary schools	63.2%	767	41.4		41.4	41.4	88.2	65.5				66.3	42.9	79.4	51.7				59.3	93.3			93.3			$18,798	$16,500	$2,298
Stanwood A. Murphy Elementary	Public	K-8	417 Church St.	Scotia	95565	Humboldt County	Scotia Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 764-2212	187	11	17.5	72.2%	121 (64.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (15.5%)	87.7	791^st of 5857 public elementary schools	86.5%		69.5	1615^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.5%	824	68.8	50.0	56.8	82.6	55.6	93.8	50.0	78.3	57.1	68.2	78.3	61.1	100.0	75.0	60.9	60.7	71.2	66.7	81.0	85.7	85.7	85.7	85.7	$23,046	$16,144	$6,902
South Bay Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	6077 Loma Ave.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	South Bay Union Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 443-4828	44	2	19.3	93.2%	22 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (11.4%)								(n/a)		10.0	10.0					40.0	40.0	40.0					25.0	25.0	25.0							$28,362	$28,362	$00
Cuddeback Elementary	Public	K-8	300 Wilder Rd.	Carlotta	95528	Humboldt County	Cuddeback Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 768-3372	157	10	15.7	59.2%	111 (70.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.8%)	59.1	2111^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.0%		39.5	3207^th of 5869 public elementary schools	45.4%	1096	21.4		30.4	80.0	47.6	42.9	50.0	28.6		51.0	73.3	52.4	21.4	37.5	19.1		42.7							$36,889	$35,850	$1,039

Frequently Asked Questions about Ferndale Elementary

How many students attend Ferndale Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 338 students attended Ferndale Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Ferndale Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ferndale Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Ferndale High

Is Ferndale Elementary a good school?

Ferndale Elementary ranks 2047^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Ferndale Elementary in?

Ferndale Unified

What is the racial makeup of Ferndale Elementary?

Students at Ferndale Elementary are 73% White, 19% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 4% Two or more races.

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.