Ferndale Elementary School

Ferndale Elementary School in Milton-Freewater, OR, is a public school serving 240 students in grades 4–5 as the upper-elementary campus of Milton-Freewater Unified School District 7, with nearby Gib Olinger Elementary School serving grades K–3 in the same district. Statewide, Ferndale ranks 533 out of 709 schools—25th percentile with 1 star—and has remained in the bottom quartile despite some fluctuation. Its student body has high economic need: 84.58% qualified for free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025, up from 72.29% in 2022–2023. Per-student spending is $20,571, with a 14.3 student-teacher ratio.

In 2025–2026, Ferndale Elementary School’s proficiency rates were above its district averages but below Oregon’s: English language arts 31.6% (district 25%, state 43.8%), math 26.6% (district 20.2%, state 32.9%), and science 20.6% (district 19.5%, state 30.6%). Math is a relative weakness, with grade 4 at 27.2% vs. state 38.9% and grade 5 at 26.0% vs. state 32.4%. Compared with Gib Olinger Elementary School, Ferndale Elementary School has slightly higher ELA (31.6% vs. 29.1%) but much lower math (26.6% vs. 35.9%), though the schools serve different grades. Athena Elementary School in Athena-Weston School District 29RJ is higher-performing: 46.1% ELA, 40.8% math, 3 stars, smaller classes (9.5 students per teacher), and higher spending ($22,790). Attendance is a bright spot: its chronic absenteeism was 28.0% in 2024–2025, better than the district (34.8%) and state (33.5%), and improved from 33.5% the year before.

Ferndale Elementary School’s subgroup results vary. Low-income students ranked in the 46th percentile in 2025–2026—above the school’s overall 25th percentile—and special education students ranked 39th, though special education rankings have swung widely (7th in 2023–2024, 67th in 2024–2025). Small subgroup sizes make these patterns less stable. Comparisons are also limited because Ferndale Elementary School serves only grades 4–5, Gib Olinger Elementary School serves K–3, and Athena Elementary School serves PK–4; science is reported only for grade 5 at the school. Overall, Ferndale Elementary School is a high-poverty, bottom-quartile school that performs above its district average but below the state and nearby Athena Elementary School, with attendance as its strongest relative signal and math as its clearest academic challenge.