Best Public Schools in Ferndale, WA

Summary:

The Ferndale School District serves approximately 4,300 students across ten public schools, including five elementary, two middle, two high, and one alternative school, in a community with significant economic need where most schools have over half of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among the district's schools, Ferndale High School stands out as the top performer, boasting the highest graduation rate and strongest test scores in English and Science, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 61st percentile statewide. In contrast, the elementary schools show more variability, with Central Elementary achieving the highest ELA proficiency among them despite having the highest poverty rate, while Cascadia Elementary has the lowest proficiency despite receiving the highest per-student funding. Both Vista Middle School and Horizon Middle School have seen recent declines in their statewide rankings.

The district faces notable challenges with its alternative programs; the Ferndale Virtual Academy has alarmingly low graduation and math proficiency rates while receiving far less funding per student than traditional schools. Overall, the Ferndale School District earns a 2-star rating, with academic proficiency averages below the state in English and Math, indicating that while the high school excels, there is a need for focused support at the elementary and middle levels.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)				SBAC English Language Arts (2025)								SBAC Math (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5610 Second Avenue	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9600	315	18	17.4	65.1%	184 (58.4%)	5 (1.6%)	77 (24.4%)	18 (5.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.2%)	40.1	680^th of 1160 public elementary schools	41.4%		33.6	776^th of 1168 public elementary schools	33.6%	96	46.9			46.9	38.0	61.9	43.8					46.8	34.0	54.8	31.3					38.5	73.1	75.0	78.9	78.9	78.9	73.1	80.8	76.9	73.1	73.1	$19,875	$1,337	$18,538
Ferndale High School	Public	9-12	5830 Golden Eagle Drive	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 383-9240	1,325	69	19.1	45.5%	734 (55.4%)	14 (1.1%)	314 (23.7%)	78 (5.9%)	78 (5.9%)	4 (0.3%)	87 (6.6%)	57.6	170^th of 438 public high schools	61.2%		54.7	185^th of 437 public high schools	57.7%	15			56.4	56.4							60.8	60.8							35.4	35.4											$20,312	$1,114	$19,198
Vista Middle School	Public	6-8	6051 Vista Drive	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 383-9370	550	32	17.1	55.6%	277 (50.4%)	12 (2.2%)	136 (24.7%)	32 (5.8%)	34 (6.2%)	8 (1.5%)	51 (9.3%)	45.4	274^th of 534 public middle schools	48.7%		55.2	216^th of 535 public middle schools	59.6%	58		40.9		40.9				47.0	52.4	50.3		49.8				34.8	38.0	33.7		35.5											$19,184	$1,383	$17,801
Skyline Elementary School	Public	K-5	2225 Thornton Road	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9450	496	28	17.7	56.5%	223 (45.0%)	5 (1.0%)	123 (24.8%)	45 (9.1%)	56 (11.3%)	5 (1.0%)	39 (7.9%)	35.1	748^th of 1160 public elementary schools	35.5%		44.3	629^th of 1168 public elementary schools	46.1%	119	47.4			47.4	36.1	46.0	43.4					41.8	40.7	40.2	40.8					40.6	91.0	94.0	94.0	94.0	94.0	92.5	92.5	92.5	92.5	92.5	$18,724	$722	$18,001
Eagleridge Elementary	Public	K-5	2651 Thornton Road	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9700	457	27	17.0	58.6%	225 (49.2%)	6 (1.3%)	84 (18.4%)	20 (4.4%)	80 (17.5%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (9.0%)	25.7	892^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	23.1%		22.4	934^th of 1168 public elementary schools	20.0%	42	44.1			44.1	34.1	37.5	45.6					38.6	30.7	38.0	27.9					32.3	90.6	90.6	92.2	92.2	92.2	92.2	92.2	90.6	92.2	92.2	$18,791	$756	$18,035
Horizon Middle School	Public	6-8	2671 Thornton Road	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 383-9850	433	25	17.1	55.4%	233 (53.8%)	6 (1.4%)	101 (23.3%)	13 (3.0%)	43 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.5%)	38	318^th of 534 public middle schools	40.4%		29.3	375^th of 535 public middle schools	29.9%	57		40.6		40.3				41.9	39.7	51.8		44.4				40.6	28.3	29.5		33.3											$20,342	$1,599	$18,743
Cascadia Elementary	Public	K-5	6175 Church Rd	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-2300	440	29	15.3	59.3%	196 (44.5%)	9 (2.0%)	152 (34.5%)	41 (9.3%)	6 (1.4%)	5 (1.1%)	29 (6.6%)	22.8	935^th of 1160 public elementary schools	19.4%		34.9	755^th of 1168 public elementary schools	35.4%	180	40.7			40.7	24.6	31.1	39.0					31.4	27.9	39.2	39.0					35.6	86.3	88.8	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	91.3	88.8	90.0	90.0	$22,167	$1,253	$20,914
Ferndale Re-Engagement	Public	9-12	6041 Vista Drive	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9362	33	0		75.8%	17 (51.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (24.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.1%)								(n/a)																															$5,509	$444	$5,065
Ferndale Virtual Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	5830 Golden Eagle Drive	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9210	154	0		60.4%	87 (56.5%)	1 (0.6%)	44 (28.6%)	2 (1.3%)	6 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.5%)								(n/a)		31.3	29.4	31.4						31.3	45.5	34.0								9.4											$5,509	$444	$5,065
Mountain View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	5780 Hendrickson Rd	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(360) 383-9289	101	11	9.4	61.4%	61 (60.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (18.8%)	4 (4.0%)	4 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (12.9%)								(n/a)																															$5,532	$444	$5,088

Cities Near Ferndale

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Bellingham	3.46 mi	36	105^th
Custer	4.44 mi	1	186^th
Lynden	7.37 mi	9	104^th
Everson	7.56 mi	7	137^th
Lummi Island	9.93 mi	1

See the top WA Washington cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.