Enrollment
284
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Johnstown, PA
Ferndale Area Jshs
Federal NCES profile for Ferndale Area Jshs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420975001225
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferndale Area Jshs earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #5 of 9
- schools in Johnstown · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 56.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferndale Area Jshs has class sizes smaller than 89% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale Area Jshs ranks #5 of 9 schools in Johnstown, PA.
School address
District: Ferndale Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420975001225 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.9%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferndale Area Jshs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferndale Area Jshs
Ferndale Area Jshs is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, enrolling 284 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Ferndale Area Jshs is leaner than roughly 89% of Pennsylvania schools and 23% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.9% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 284 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 263 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #187, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Johnstown's public schools, it stands alongside Greater Johnstown El Sch (1,133 students): Ferndale Area Jshs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 15.7:1).
Its district, Ferndale Area Sd, also runs Ferndale El Sch (325 students).
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ferndale Area Jshs compares
Ferndale Area Jshs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.5:1 | ▼ 23% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.9% | ▼ 2% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 284 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
284
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 11% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,959
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 77.1%
African American 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 77.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.8, Ferndale Area Jshs is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferndale Area Sd, which includes Ferndale Area Jshs.
$19,959
Per student
+11%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.8%
State 66.7%
Federal 10.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ferndale Area Jshs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale El Sch | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ferndale Area Jshs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Johnstown
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Greater Johnstown El Sch
Standard public school
1,133 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Greater Johnstown Shs
Standard public school
917 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Richland Hs
Standard public school
693 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Westmont Hilltop Jshs
Standard public school
689 students 13:1 students per teacher
Conemaugh Valley El Sch
Standard public school
374 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Ferndale El Sch
Standard public school
325 students 12:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~284 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferndale Area Jshs's federal record.
- Compare Ferndale Area Jshs against another school. Compare schools
- Ferndale Area Sd's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ferndale Area Jshs
How many students attend Ferndale Area Jshs?
Ferndale Area Jshs has 284 students enrolled. It is a public school in Johnstown, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferndale Area Jshs?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferndale Area Jshs is 10.5:1, which is 23% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 33% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ferndale Area Jshs?
56.9% of students at Ferndale Area Jshs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferndale Area Jshs?
The largest demographic group at Ferndale Area Jshs is White at 77.1% of enrollment, in Johnstown, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferndale Area Jshs?
Ferndale Area Jshs has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ferndale Area Jshs rank among schools in Johnstown?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale Area Jshs ranks #5 of 9 schools in Johnstown, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Johnstown on the city page.
Is Ferndale Area Jshs a good school?
Ferndale Area Jshs earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Pennsylvania schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Ferndale Area Sd?
Besides Ferndale Area Jshs, Ferndale Area Sd also operates Ferndale El Sch (325 students). See the Ferndale Area Sd district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.