Summary
Ferber Elementary is a PK–5 school serving 499 students at 515 E Capitol Dr in Appleton, WI, part of the Appleton Area School District. Statewide, Ferber currently ranks 556th of 1,039 elementary schools — the 46th percentile with a 2-star rating — after a stretch from 2020–2021 through 2023–2024 when it held 3 stars and ranked between the 53rd and 62nd percentiles. Its district ranks 253rd of 432 districts statewide, so Ferber sits slightly above its district's overall standing.
Ferber's clearest strength is attendance: 6.4% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, far below the district (15.7%) and state (17.3%) rates, and among the best in its peer group — only Classical School (5.1%) is lower. The school also serves a relatively lower-poverty population (32.26% free/reduced lunch) than most nearby schools, including Highlands Elementary (60.43%) and Ronald C Dunlap Elementary School (65.61%). Fourth grade is a bright spot, with results above both district and state averages in math (56.7%), social studies (73.2%), and science (55.67%), and 3rd grade math was also strong at 61%. Class sizes are moderate, with a 13.5 student–teacher ratio, improved from 15.2 in 2022–2023, and per-student spending was $15,139 in 2024–2025.
Areas to watch include 5th grade, where ELA (39.51%) and math (40.74%) fell well below district and state averages, and 3rd grade ELA (45%), suggesting early literacy may need attention. Economically disadvantaged students ranked in the 27th percentile (1 star) — a persistent gap across three years — while English language learner students slipped to the 62nd percentile and special education students to the 48th. Among similar peers, Houdini Elementary is nearly tied overall at the 47th percentile with comparable size and poverty, but posts much stronger 5th grade ELA (59.04%). Classical School, just 0.13 miles away, ranks in the 93rd percentile, though it serves a much more affluent population.
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