Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Washington test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Horizon Middle School

Q: Is Horizon Middle School a good school?

Horizon Middle School ranks 372 nd of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

372^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 28% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Horizon Middle School is a public school for grades 6–8 in Ferndale, Washington, serving 433 students in the Ferndale School District in a community near Bellingham and several other Whatcom County schools. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 17.1 to 1, and 55.43% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025.

Academic results are below both state and district averages. In 2025–2026, Horizon’s proficiency rates were 37.97% in English language arts, 29.65% in math, and 24.22% in science. Science is the clearest concern: the rate was 23.33 percentage points below the Ferndale School District average and 26.73 points below Washington’s rate. Eighth-grade math was also particularly weak, with 16.41% of students proficient, compared with 29.14% districtwide and 38.80% statewide. Results declined from the prior year, especially in science, which fell 16.07 percentage points. Horizon ranked 372nd of 514 Washington schools, at the 28th percentile, down from the 40th percentile the previous year.

Nearby comparisons provide useful context. Vista Middle School, just 1.13 miles away and also part of the Ferndale School District, has a similar student-teacher ratio and nearly identical lunch-program participation, yet scores higher in ELA, math, and science—especially science, at 46.75%. Nooksack Valley Middle School also serves a similarly high-need population and performs better in all three subjects. Higher-ranked schools include Kulshan Middle School, Fairhaven Middle School, and Whatcom Middle School. The most important improvement priorities appear to be eighth-grade math, science instruction, and examining practices at Vista Middle School that may help explain its stronger outcomes.

433

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,342

Per pupil spending ?

55.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2671 Thornton Road
Ferndale, WA 98248

(360) 383-9850

District: Ferndale School District

Students who attend Horizon Middle School usually attend:

High:

Ferndale High School

Feeder schools for Horizon Middle School:

Elementary:	Custer Elementary
	Eagleridge Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.8%

Hispanic:

23.3%

American Indian:

9.9%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Horizon Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 34th percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (34% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg41%

Washington avg48%

372^nd of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Ferndale School District

156^th of 238Ferndale School District among Washington districts

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

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	372 of 514	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.0	318 of 534	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.3	375 of 535	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.5	364 of 539	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	328 of 541	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.0	349 of 529	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.7	320 of 512	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.2	285 of 435	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	40.8	261 of 443	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.6	292 of 445	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	66.0	160 of 498	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.2	182 of 497	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.1	158 of 492	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.2	220 of 483	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.7	172 of 476	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.2	211 of 466	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	47.0	251 of 463	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	63.5	144 of 449	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	77.1	80 of 425	81.2%	★★★★☆
2004	51.7	210 of 421	50.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2018	48.4	48 of 135	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	290 of 443	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.2	310 of 471	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.0	337 of 464	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.8	295 of 464	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.0	277 of 479	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.9	296 of 469	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.2	256 of 452	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.7	261 of 376	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	18.7	303 of 347	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.4	187 of 347	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	215 of 344	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	213 of 336	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.4	142 of 360	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.3	180 of 353	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.4	258 of 344	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.0	236 of 259	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	295 of 453	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	242 of 457	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	283 of 455	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.0	309 of 463	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.2	330 of 475	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.3	338 of 458	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.5	258 of 448	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.8	248 of 349	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	373 of 454	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.8	289 of 472	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.1	327 of 466	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.5	349 of 470	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.1	320 of 480	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.9	314 of 476	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	306 of 453	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.5	254 of 371	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	52.6	106 of 246	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.8	142 of 244	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.4	140 of 257	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.3	127 of 246	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	35.8	9 of 15	40.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.3	3 of 12	75.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	19.0	154 of 179	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	114 of 210	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.5	192 of 231	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	198 of 268	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.4	322 of 453	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	45.0	259 of 488	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	345 of 486	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	347 of 488	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.6	306 of 488	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.5	309 of 480	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	253 of 470	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.1	198 of 325	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2018)64th percentile

Multi-racial (2025)57th percentile+16 vs school

Native American (2019)40th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)35th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)29th percentile~ school

Male (2026)18th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2024)14th percentile-16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)13th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts38%-15 vs state

Math30%-13 vs state

Science24%-27 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Horizon Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Horizon Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Horizon Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	27.2	372^nd of 514 public middle schools	27.6%		38	318^th of 534 public middle schools	40.4%	54	24.2	24.2	30.9	45.6	36.2	38.0	32.4	38.0	16.4	29.7	$20,342	$1,599	$18,743
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%)	45.8	261^st of 514 public middle schools	49.2%		45.4	274^th of 534 public middle schools	48.7%	13	46.8	46.8	40.2	52.6	43.7	45.3	27.9	40.0	39.3	35.3	$19,184	$1,383	$17,801
Shuksan Middle School	Public	6-8	2717 Alderwood Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6454	606	36	16.7	52.1%	318 (52.5%)	12 (2.0%)	186 (30.7%)	25 (4.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (9.4%)	42.6	281^st of 514 public middle schools	45.3%		38	320^th of 534 public middle schools	40.1%	39	43.2	43.2	42.1	57.2	45.5	48.3	27.0	39.6	25.0	30.5	$19,715	$1,712	$18,003
Meridian Middle School	Public	6-8	861 Ten Mile Road	Lynden	98264	Whatcom County	Meridian School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 398-2291	350	22	16.2	53.1%	208 (59.4%)	2 (0.6%)	88 (25.1%)	25 (7.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.6%)	54.2	212^th of 514 public middle schools	58.8%		58.8	199^th of 534 public middle schools	62.7%	13	44.4	44.4	52.5	53.7	51.4	52.5	32.8	47.7	33.6	37.8	$18,417	$364	$18,052
Whatcom Middle School	Public	6-8	810 Halleck St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6460	637	34	18.5	42.4%	375 (58.9%)	6 (0.9%)	133 (20.9%)	48 (7.5%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (9.6%)	76.5	109^th of 514 public middle schools	78.8%		72.7	119^th of 534 public middle schools	77.7%	10	62.0	62.0	48.0	59.7	58.4	56.0	54.9	54.2	57.0	55.4	$17,842	$320	$17,522
Blaine Middle School	Public	6-8	975 H Street	Blaine	98230	Whatcom County	Blaine School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 332-8226	471	23	20.3	46.1%	298 (63.3%)	6 (1.3%)	104 (22.1%)	26 (5.5%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	31 (6.6%)	46.5	255^th of 514 public middle schools	50.4%		40.1	307^th of 534 public middle schools	42.5%	52	44.0	44.0	31.3	50.3	51.1	44.7	29.0	40.0	46.5	38.8	$17,958	$615	$17,342
Fairhaven Middle School	Public	6-8	110 Park Ridge Rd	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6450	588	32	18.1	40.8%	393 (66.8%)	8 (1.4%)	91 (15.5%)	33 (5.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (9.4%)	80.8	91^st of 514 public middle schools	82.3%		80.2	93^rd of 534 public middle schools	82.6%	2	68.7	68.7	56.7	64.7	60.6	60.6	46.5	60.6	53.1	53.3	$17,779	$314	$17,465
Lynden Middle School	Public	6-8	8750 Line Rd	Lynden	98264	Whatcom County	Lynden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 354-2952	705	37	18.9	47.5%	419 (59.4%)	6 (0.9%)	210 (29.8%)	41 (5.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.8%)	51.8	223^rd of 514 public middle schools	56.6%		45	276^th of 534 public middle schools	48.3%	53	43.6	43.6	55.6	53.9	44.0	50.8	42.4	35.0	33.9	37.0	$15,117	$657	$14,461
Kulshan Middle School	Public	6-8	1250 Kenoyer Dr	Bellingham	98229	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-4886	575	33	17.6	28.7%	422 (73.4%)	4 (0.7%)	73 (12.7%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	54 (9.4%)	83.8	77^th of 514 public middle schools	85.0%		81.5	90^th of 534 public middle schools	83.1%	13	64.0	64.0	65.8	67.7	54.7	63.0	64.5	61.6	50.0	59.0	$18,256	$607	$17,649
Nooksack Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	404 W. Columbia St.	Everson	98247	Whatcom County	Nooksack Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 966-7561	469	25	18.7	58.4%	248 (52.9%)	1 (0.2%)	175 (37.3%)	4 (0.9%)	18 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.7%)	52.2	221^st of 514 public middle schools	57.0%		44.2	280^th of 534 public middle schools	47.6%	59	39.7	39.7	51.9	52.8	37.0	47.2	41.4	45.1	41.7	42.6	$16,808	$696	$16,112

Frequently Asked Questions about Horizon Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Horizon Middle School?

Students at Horizon Middle School are 54% White, 23% Hispanic, 10% American Indian, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What district is Horizon Middle School in?

Ferndale School District

How many students attend Horizon Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 433 students attended Horizon Middle School.

Is Horizon Middle School a good school?

Horizon Middle School ranks 372^nd of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Horizon Middle School attend?

Students who attend Horizon Middle School usually go on to attend Ferndale High School

Rate Horizon Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Middle School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Ferndale, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Horizon Middle School!

Latest Washington data All new data »

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresNewSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025

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.