Is Horizon Middle School a good school?

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

How many students attend Horizon Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 413 students attended Horizon Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Horizon Middle School?

Students at Horizon Middle School are 53% White, 24% Hispanic, 12% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What high school do graduates of Horizon Middle School attend?

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

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:
375^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,399

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: 14.9

Number of students: 413

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.3%

Hispanic:

24.0%

American Indian:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.8%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Horizon Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Horizon Middle School ranks worse than 70.1% of middle schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.33. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Horizon Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (53.3%), Hispanic (24%), American Indian (12.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School is 14.9. (See more...)

Compare Horizon Middle School employs 27.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 375^th 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 150^th 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
2004	51.74	210^th	421	50.1%
2005	77.10	80^th	425	81.2%
2006	63.50	144^th	449	67.9%
2007	46.97	251^st	463	45.8%
2008	53.19	211^th	466	54.7%
2009	59.70	172^nd	476	63.9%
2010	54.24	220^th	483	54.5%
2011	63.14	158^th	492	67.9%
2012	60.15	182^nd	497	63.4%
2013	65.98	160^th	498	67.9%
2015	34.62	292^nd	445	34.4%
2016	40.85	261^st	443	41.1%
2017	36.18	285^th	435	34.5%
2019	38.73	320^th	512	37.5%
2021	33.98	349^th	529	34.0%
2022	37.43	328^th	541	39.4%
2023	31.50	364^th	539	32.5%
2024	29.33	375^th	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
2019	49.29	127^th	246	48.4%
2022	42.39	140^th	257	45.5%
2023	40.80	142^nd	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	48^th	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
2018	29.98	198^th	268	26.1%
2019	25.49	192^nd	231	16.9%
2021	40.41	114^th	210	45.7%
2024	19.02	154^th	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
2018	32.81	248^th	349	28.9%
2019	43.50	258^th	448	42.4%
2021	29.28	338^th	458	26.2%
2022	33.23	330^th	475	30.5%
2023	34.02	309^th	463	33.3%
2024	37.01	283^rd	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
2018	32.72	261^st	376	30.6%
2019	45.24	256^th	452	43.4%
2021	35.88	296^th	469	36.9%
2022	39.99	277^th	479	42.2%
2023	34.79	295^th	464	36.4%
2024	28.97	337^th	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
2018	32.48	254^th	371	31.5%
2019	32.15	306^th	453	32.5%
2021	32.89	314^th	476	34.0%
2022	34.06	320^th	480	33.3%
2023	27.50	349^th	470	25.7%
2024	29.09	327^th	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
2018	16.99	236^th	259	8.9%
2019	28.45	258^th	344	25.0%
2021	43.34	180^th	353	49.0%
2022	52.40	142^nd	360	60.6%
2023	35.02	213^th	336	36.6%
2024	35.16	215^th	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	3^rd	12	75.0%
2019	35.75	9^th	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
2018	40.07	198^th	325	39.1%
2019	47.94	253^rd	470	46.2%
2021	35.47	309^th	480	35.6%
2022	37.59	306^th	488	37.3%
2023	30.76	347^th	488	28.9%
2024	31.63	345^th	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.

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
2024	220	6	12	99	50	1	24	1	413

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
2024	413	27.7	14.9	58.8

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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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
2024	413	27.7	14.9	58.8

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.

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