Horizon Middle School

Summary:

Horizon Middle School is a public middle school in Ferndale, Washington, serving 449 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Ferndale School District, which is ranked 150 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Horizon Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Washington middle schools, with its performance on state assessments (SBAC and WCAS) falling below the Ferndale School District and Washington state averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 39.46% of Horizon students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 45.57% in the district and 52.63% statewide. In math, the proficiency rate was 27.91% at Horizon, 35.75% in the district, and 41.68% statewide. The school's diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (23.16%) and Native American (9.8%) students, as well as a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (62.14% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), may contribute to these challenges.

Horizon Middle School's academic performance lags behind nearby schools, such as Vista Middle School (also in the Ferndale School District) and several middle schools in the Bellingham and Lynden school districts. For example, in 2023-2024, Vista Middle School had 50.89% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to Horizon's 39.46%, and 39.61% in math, compared to Horizon's 27.91%. Horizon Middle School's struggles to support certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic, White, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, suggest the need for targeted interventions and support to address these achievement gaps.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 2671 Thornton Road
       Ferndale, WA  98248


(360) 383-9850

District: Ferndale School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
375th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,399 Help


Students who attend Horizon Middle School usually attend:

High:    Ferndale High School

Feeder schools for Horizon Middle School:

Elementary:    Custer Elementary
    Eagleridge Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  14.8 Help
Number of students:  449

Racial breakdown:

White:
56.3%
Hispanic:
23.2%
American Indian:
9.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  62.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Horizon Middle School ranks worse than 70.1% of middle schools in Washington. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.33. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (56.3%), Hispanic (23.2%), American Indian (9.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 62.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School is 14.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Horizon Middle School employs 30.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Horizon Middle School is $18,399.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Horizon Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Horizon Middle School 375th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Horizon Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Ferndale School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Ferndale School District 150th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Horizon Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 51.74 210th 421 50.1%
2005 77.10 80th 425 81.2%
2006 63.50 144th 449 67.9%
2007 46.97 251st 463 45.8%
2008 53.19 211th 466 54.7%
2009 59.70 172nd 476 63.9%
2010 54.24 220th 483 54.5%
2011 63.14 158th 492 67.9%
2012 60.15 182nd 497 63.4%
2013 65.98 160th 498 67.9%
2015 34.62 292nd 445 34.4%
2016 40.85 261st 443 41.1%
2017 36.18 285th 435 34.5%
2019 38.73 320th 512 37.5%
2021 33.98 349th 529 34.0%
2022 37.43 328th 541 39.4%
2023 31.50 364th 539 32.5%
2024 29.33 375th 535 29.9%
See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 49.29 127th 246 48.4%
2022 42.39 140th 257 45.5%
2023 40.80 142nd 244 41.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.43 48th 135 64.4%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.98 198th 268 26.1%
2019 25.49 192nd 231 16.9%
2021 40.41 114th 210 45.7%
2024 19.02 154th 179 14.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.81 248th 349 28.9%
2019 43.50 258th 448 42.4%
2021 29.28 338th 458 26.2%
2022 33.23 330th 475 30.5%
2023 34.02 309th 463 33.3%
2024 37.01 283rd 455 37.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.72 261st 376 30.6%
2019 45.24 256th 452 43.4%
2021 35.88 296th 469 36.9%
2022 39.99 277th 479 42.2%
2023 34.79 295th 464 36.4%
2024 28.97 337th 464 27.4%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.48 254th 371 31.5%
2019 32.15 306th 453 32.5%
2021 32.89 314th 476 34.0%
2022 34.06 320th 480 33.3%
2023 27.50 349th 470 25.7%
2024 29.09 327th 466 29.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.99 236th 259 8.9%
2019 28.45 258th 344 25.0%
2021 43.34 180th 353 49.0%
2022 52.40 142nd 360 60.6%
2023 35.02 213th 336 36.6%
2024 35.16 215th 344 37.5%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.30 3rd 12 75.0%
2019 35.75 9th 15 40.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Horizon Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.07 198th 325 39.1%
2019 47.94 253rd 470 46.2%
2021 35.47 309th 480 35.6%
2022 37.59 306th 488 37.3%
2023 30.76 347th 488 28.9%
2024 31.63 345th 486 29.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Horizon Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Horizon Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2001 276 5 11 22 67 n/a n/a 0 381
2002 295 4 3 32 69 n/a n/a 0 403
2003 295 4 3 32 69 n/a n/a 0 403
2004 297 5 9 28 72 n/a n/a 0 411
2005 298 1 15 33 46 n/a n/a 0 393
2006 284 3 10 41 46 n/a n/a 2 386
2007 286 5 9 38 55 n/a n/a 0 393
2008 275 4 13 44 57 n/a n/a 0 393
2009 261 4 13 46 49 n/a n/a 0 373
2010 273 4 11 54 40 n/a n/a 0 382
2011 266 1 13 79 42 1 17 0 419
2012 255 2 10 78 36 0 16 0 397
2013 255 5 5 63 35 0 25 0 388
2014 349 4 16 101 61 0 34 0 565
2015 323 2 18 109 62 0 31 0 545
2016 280 7 15 90 58 0 27 0 477
2017 266 6 12 87 49 1 31 0 452
2018 258 5 12 86 50 1 35 0 447
2019 277 3 16 86 51 1 40 0 474
2020 278 2 14 102 52 0 45 1 494
2021 268 7 16 91 54 0 52 2 490
2022 239 1 14 114 35 0 27 1 431
2023 253 3 15 104 44 0 29 1 449

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Horizon Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2001 381 0.0 0.0 n/a
2002 403 24.3 16.6 57.6
2003 403 24.3 16.6 57.6
2004 411 23.0 17.9 53.8
2005 393 23.0 17.1 48.6
2006 386 22.9 16.9 49.5
2007 393 22.7 17.3 47.3
2008 393 22.8 17.2 53.7
2009 373 22.8 16.4 46.9
2010 382 21.6 17.6 51
2011 419 22.4 18.6 52.5
2012 397 20.5 19.2 54.4
2013 388 19.0 20.3 50.8
2014 565 n/a n/a 47.1
2015 545 28.0 19.4 49.2
2016 477 27.0 17.6 49.9
2017 452 26.9 16.8 49.1
2018 447 27.3 16.3 53
2019 474 28.4 16.6 55.9
2020 494 28.9 17.0 50.4
2021 490 27.5 17.7 49.4
2022 431 29.8 14.4 53.8
2023 449 30.2 14.8 62.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Horizon Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2001 381 0.0 0.0 n/a
2002 403 24.3 16.6 57.6
2003 403 24.3 16.6 57.6
2004 411 23.0 17.9 53.8
2005 393 23.0 17.1 48.6
2006 386 22.9 16.9 49.5
2007 393 22.7 17.3 47.3
2008 393 22.8 17.2 53.7
2009 373 22.8 16.4 46.9
2010 382 21.6 17.6 51
2011 419 22.4 18.6 52.5
2012 397 20.5 19.2 54.4
2013 388 19.0 20.3 50.8
2014 565 n/a n/a 47.1
2015 545 28.0 19.4 49.2
2016 477 27.0 17.6 49.9
2017 452 26.9 16.8 49.1
2018 447 27.3 16.3 53
2019 474 28.4 16.6 55.9
2020 494 28.9 17.0 50.4
2021 490 27.5 17.7 49.4
2022 431 29.8 14.4 53.8
2023 449 30.2 14.8 62.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

6th Grade Immunization Rates

Horizon Middle School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussis
201981.8%0.6%1.2%0.0%8.2%91.2%82.4%91.2%91.2%91.2%84.1%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health

Immunization Rates (Entire school)

Horizon Middle School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussis
201987.5%0.2%1.7%7.0%94.7%94.1%94.1%93.9%94.7%94.7%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Horizon Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $967 (6.3%) $14,367 (93.7%) $15,334
2020 $722 (6.7%) $10,087 (93.3%) $10,808
2021 $855 (5.8%) $13,858 (94.2%) $14,714
2022 $2,352 (12.8%) $16,046 (87.2%) $18,399

Data source: Washington Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Horizon Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 320th of 512 Middle schoolsRanks 364th of 539 Middle schools
 5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Horizon Middle School)59.337.9
 21.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Ferndale School District)53.440.2
 13.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)57.847.9
 9.9%
6th Grade Math (Horizon Middle School)47.426.4
 21%
   6th Grade Math (Ferndale School District)40.931
 9.9%
   6th Grade Math (Washington)47.738.1
 9.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Horizon Middle School)5247
 4.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Ferndale School District)59.656.2
 3.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)6252.1
 9.9%
7th Grade Math (Horizon Middle School)38.529.1
 9.4%
   7th Grade Math (Ferndale School District)41.938.4
 3.6%
   7th Grade Math (Washington)49.938.6
 11.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Horizon Middle School)55.641.4
 14.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Ferndale School District)58.251.2
 7.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)59.651.3
 8.3%
8th Grade Math (Horizon Middle School)38.325
 13.3%
   8th Grade Math (Ferndale School District)37.129.3
 7.8%
   8th Grade Math (Washington)47.234.4
 12.8%
8th Grade Science (Horizon Middle School)4338.4
 4.5%
   8th Grade Science (Ferndale School District)46.942.4
 4.5%
   8th Grade Science (Washington)53.143.9
 9.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Horizon Middle School)55.942
 13.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Ferndale School District)5846.7
 11.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Horizon Middle School)41.826.8
 15%
   All Grades Math (Ferndale School District)4334.8
 8.2%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%
All Grades Science (Horizon Middle School)42.738.4
 4.3%
   All Grades Science (Ferndale School District)51.946.5
 5.5%
   All Grades Science (Washington)52.748.8
 4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students474449
 5.3%
African American33
American Indian5144
 13.7%
Asian1615
 6.3%
Hispanic86104
 20.9%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White277253
 8.7%
Two or More Races4029
 27.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.9%62.1%
 6.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Horizon Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 449 students attended Horizon Middle School.

Horizon Middle School ranks 375th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Horizon Middle School usually go on to attend Ferndale High School

Students at Horizon Middle School are 56% White, 23% Hispanic, 10% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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