An equity score of 38/100 ranks Ferndale Public Schools #532 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,163 per pupil, Ferndale Public Schools ranks #408 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,131
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$14,163
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Ferndale Public Schools operates 6 public schools serving 3,131 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Oakland County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,163 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 33.0% local, 56.0% state, and 11.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 38/100, ranked #532 of 702 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (25 AP courses district-wide), a 319.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 44.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 62.7% African American, 28.3% White, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
Its largest campus is Ferndale High School, enrolling 739 students (24% of the district's total enrollment).
Ferndale High School accounts for 23.6% of all Ferndale Public Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Ferndale Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Ferndale Public Schools school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
Ferndale Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 348 students (lowest) to 739 students (highest), a spread of 391 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Ferndale Public Schools reports 60.4% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Ferndale Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 319:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Ferndale Public Schools is typically wider than the Ferndale Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Ferndale Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 44.8% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Ferndale Public Schools has 6 schools, including 3 high, 1 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,131 students.
How much does Ferndale Public Schools spend per student?
Ferndale Public Schools spends $14,163 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #532 in Michigan.
What is the demographic composition of Ferndale Public Schools?
Ferndale Public Schools students are 62.7% African American, 28.3% White, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Ferndale Public Schools?
Ferndale Public Schools has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #532 out of 702 districts in Michigan.