Enrollment
517
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ferndale, MI
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus
Federal NCES profile for Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261428005076
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Ferndale · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.8:1
- students per teacher
- 47.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Ferndale, MI.
School address
District: Ferndale Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261428005076 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus is a mid-sized elementary school in Ferndale, Michigan, enrolling 517 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 517 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 664 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #474, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Ferndale Public Schools also operates Ferndale High School (739 students) and Ferndale Middle School (528 students) alongside Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus.
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 Lower Elementary Campus compares
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.1% | ▼ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Michigan - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.9%
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
$13,463
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 50.5%
African American 34.8%
Two or More 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferndale Public Schools, which includes Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus.
$13,463
Per student
0%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 56.0%
Federal 11.0%
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 Lower Elementary Campus Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ferndale Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ferndale Upper Elementary Campus | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| University High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tri County Educational Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 31.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~517 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus's federal record.
- Compare Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus against another school. Compare schools
- Ferndale Public Schools'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 Lower Elementary Campus
How many students attend Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus?
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus has 517 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ferndale, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus is 17.8:1, which is 2% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus?
47.1% of students at Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus?
The largest demographic group at Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus is White at 50.5% of enrollment, in Ferndale, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus?
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus rank among public schools in Ferndale?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Ferndale, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ferndale on the city page.
Is Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus a good school?
Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Public Schools?
Besides Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus, Ferndale Public Schools also operates Ferndale High School (739 students), Ferndale Middle School (528 students), and Ferndale Upper Elementary Campus (501 students). See the Ferndale Public Schools 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.