Enrollment
550
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ferndale, WA
Vista Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Vista Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530285000463
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Ferndale · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 50.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Middle School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Ferndale, WA.
School address
District: Ferndale School District · Washington
NCES ID 530285000463 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Middle School
Vista Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Ferndale, Washington, enrolling 550 students.
At 15.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.9% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 550 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 468 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #273.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 550 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Ferndale's middle schools, it stands alongside Horizon Middle School (433 students): Vista Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.7:1 vs 14.4:1).
Ferndale School District also operates Ferndale High School (1,325 students) and Skyline Elementary School (496 students) alongside Vista 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 Vista Middle School compares
Vista 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 | 15.7:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.9% | ▲ 13% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 550 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
550
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 42% in Washington - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 550 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 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 50.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
Two or More 9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.2%
Asian 5.8%
African American 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Largest group: White at 50.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.8, Vista 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 Vista 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 Vista Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Skyline Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eagleridge Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cascadia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista 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
- 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
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~550 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Vista 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 Vista Middle School
How many students attend Vista Middle School?
Vista Middle School has 550 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ferndale, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Middle School is 15.7:1, which is 11% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 0% higher 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 Vista Middle School?
50.9% of students at Vista Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Vista Middle School is White at 50.4% of enrollment, in Ferndale, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Middle School?
Vista Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Vista Middle School rank among public schools in Ferndale?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Middle School ranks #5 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 Vista Middle School a good school?
Vista Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Vista Middle School, Ferndale School District also operates Ferndale High School (1,325 students), Skyline Elementary School (496 students), and Eagleridge Elementary (457 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.