Enrollment
433
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ferndale, WA
Horizon Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530285002832
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Washington schools.
- #4 of 8
- public schools in Ferndale · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- small classes for Washington
- 53.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon Middle School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Middle School ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Ferndale, WA.
School address
District: Ferndale School District · Washington
NCES ID 530285002832 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon Middle School
Horizon Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Ferndale, Washington, enrolling 433 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 433 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 487 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #281.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 433 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Ferndale's middle schools, it stands alongside Vista Middle School (550 students): Horizon Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.4:1 vs 15.7:1).
Ferndale School District also operates Ferndale High School (1,325 students) and Vista Middle School (550 students) alongside Horizon Middle School.
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 Horizon Middle School compares
Horizon Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▼ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.9% | ▲ 20% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 433 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
433
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 27% in Washington - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$17,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 433 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 53.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 9.9%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 3.0%
African American 1.4%
Largest group: White at 53.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Horizon Middle School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferndale School District, which includes Horizon Middle School.
$17,981
Per student
-8%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 63.5%
Federal 14.2%
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 Horizon Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vista Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skyline Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eagleridge Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cascadia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,325
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 440
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Ferndale
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~433 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Horizon Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Ferndale School District'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 Horizon Middle School
How many students attend Horizon Middle School?
Horizon Middle School has 433 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ferndale, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School is 14.4:1, which is 18% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 8% 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 Horizon Middle School?
53.9% of students at Horizon Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Middle School is White at 53.8% of enrollment, in Ferndale, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Middle School?
Horizon Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Horizon Middle School rank among public schools in Ferndale?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Middle School ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Ferndale, WA. 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 Horizon Middle School a good school?
Horizon Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Washington 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 School District?
Besides Horizon Middle School, Ferndale School District also operates Ferndale High School (1,325 students), Vista Middle School (550 students), and Skyline Elementary School (496 students). See the Ferndale School District 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.