Ferndale Area SD operates 2 public schools serving 600 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 609 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cambria County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,445 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 22.8% local, 66.7% state, and 10.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $84,600 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 84/100, ranked #26 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 223.3:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 22.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 71.9% White, 13.0% African American, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Ferndale El Sch accounts for 53.4% of all Ferndale Area SD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Ferndale Area SD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Ferndale Area SD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 78.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Ferndale Area SD student-counselor ratio is 223:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Ferndale Area SD chronic absenteeism rate is 22.0% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Ferndale Area SD is typically wider than the Ferndale Area SD-aggregate figure suggests.
Ferndale Area SD has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 600 students.
How much does Ferndale Area SD spend per student?
Ferndale Area SD spends $23,445 per student. The district has an equity score of 84/100, ranking #26 in Pennsylvania.
What is the average teacher salary in Ferndale Area SD?
The average teacher salary in Ferndale Area SD is $84,600 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Ferndale Area SD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cambria County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Ferndale Area SD?
Ferndale Area SD students are 71.9% White, 13.0% African American, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Ferndale Area SD?
Ferndale Area SD has an equity score of 84/100, ranking #26 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.