Ferndale Unified School District

School district in California, United States

Ferndale Unified School District

Address

1231 Main Street

Ferndale

, California, 95536
United States
District information
Type| Public
Grades| K–12[1]
Schools| 2
NCES District ID| 0600037[1]
Students and staff
Students| 454[1]
Teachers| 30.32 (FTE)[1]
Staff| 31.77 (FTE)[1]
Student–teacher ratio| 14.97[1]
Other information
Website| www.ferndalek12.org

The Ferndale Unified School District, oversees public education through grade 12, in Ferndale, California, and the surrounding area, including the "Ferndale bottoms" and an area of the Wildcat Hills in Humboldt County, California.[2]

The district operates two schools: the Ferndale Elementary School (K–8),[3] and Ferndale High School for grades 9 through 12.[4] The school board has five members[5] who meet monthly in the Ferndale High School library; agendas and board packets are available online.[5] The superintendent/principal is Beth Anderson.[6]

## Ferndale Elementary School[edit]

Ferndale Elementary School

Ferndale Elementary School is composed of several buildings: The main building was built in 1924, the gymnasium was built in 1967, and a multipurpose room, additional classrooms and computer space were added in 2001.[7] All eighteen teachers are fully credentialed.[7]

In 2013, forty percent of the 263 students enrolled were socioeconomically disadvantaged, 11% have to learn English and 24% of the students were non-White in ethnicity.[8]

In the 2009–2010 school year, there were 340 students of whom 6% were English language learners and 20% were receiving free or reduced-price lunches, one measure of economic disadvantage.[9] The Academic Performance Index (API) for Ferndale Elementary was 797 in 2008, 815 in 2009, 803 in 2010, 821 in 2011, 839 in 2012 and 791 in 2013.[9] Compared to all the schools in Humboldt County for CST Scores in English, Ferndale Elementary ranks number 27 of 65.[10] With the same schools comparing math scores, Ferndale Elementary ranks 25 of 63.[11] By number of students, Ferndale Elementary ranks 18 of 100.[12]

The sports teams are called "Ferndale Mustangs" with colors of green and white.[13]

## Ferndale High School[edit]

Ferndale High School is composed of several buildings.[14] The main building was built in 1952 to provide offices, the school library and 11 classrooms. Other buildings include the 1975 gymnasium, and a building containing the woodshop and mechanics shop.[14] All fourteen teachers are fully credentialed.[14]

In 2012, there were 95 students of whom 24% were socioeconomically disadvantaged, 9% have to learn English and 21% were non-White in ethnicity.[15]

In the 2009–2010 school year, there were 155 students of whom 1% were English language learners and 20% were receiving free or reduced-price lunches, one measure of economic disadvantage.[9] The SAT scores of the 14 graduating seniors who took the test in 2009–2010 were 1508: math 526, reading 481, writing 500.[9] Compared to the other High Schools in Humboldt County for highest average SAT scores, Ferndale High places sixth of nine.[16] Compared to all the schools in Humboldt County for CST Scores in English, Ferndale High ranks 33 of 65.[10] With the same schools comparing math scores, Ferndale High ranks 54 of 63.[11] By number of students, Ferndale Elementary ranks 41 of 100.[12]

The graduation rate at Ferndale High School in 2006–2007 was 97.8% dropping slightly the following academic year to 94.7%; there were no expulsions in any of the reported years.[14]

The sports teams are called "Wildcats" with colors red and white.[17]

## Notable students[edit]

The plaque commemorates the longest major league game of baseball ever played May 1, 1920, pitched by Ferndale High alumnus Joe Oeschger.[18]

American football player and coach Len Casanova attended Ferndale schools in the 1920s where he played for the Wildcats.[19]: 1

U.S. Congressman Donald H. Clausen graduated Ferndale High[20] where he was an honors student and lettered in: tennis, track, basketball, football and baseball as well as being the drum major of the school band.[21]

Professional American baseball player Sam Dungan[22] attended Ferndale schools in the 1890s.

American character actor Frank Ferguson grew up in Ferndale and attended local schools in the early 1900s.

Chef Guy Fieri started his first business "the Awesome Pretzel", selling pretzels from a cart, while a sixth-grade student at Ferndale Elementary School.[23] In 2010 he worked on a video project with students from local schools.[23]

Thomas E. Leavey, the co-founder of the Farmers Insurance Group attended local schools in the early 1900s.[24]

American baseball player Joe Oeschger, and his brothers, attended local schools and played baseball for Ferndale High in the 1910s. Oeschger pitched the longest major league baseball game, for the Boston Braves in 1920, which is memorialized with a plaque at Ferndale Fireman's Park baseball field.[18]

## See also[edit]

* List of schools in Humboldt County, California

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Ferndale Unified". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
2. ^ "Welcome to HCOE!". Humboldt County Office of Education. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
3. ^ Ferndale Elementary, California School Directory, California Department of Education, 2013
4. ^ Ferndale High, California School Directory, California Department of Education, 2013
5. ^ a b School Board Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, Ferndale Unified School District, 2013
6. ^ District Staff Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, Ferndale Unified School District, 2013
7. ^ a b Ferndale Elementary School SARC Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, School Accountability Report Card Reported Using Data from the 2010–11 School Year, California Department of Education (CDE) SARC, 2012
8. ^ Ferndale Elementary/Ferndale Unified, School Report - API Growth and Targets Met, Academic Performance Index (API) Report, California Department of Education, Analysis Measurement and Accountability Reporting Division, September 19, 2013
9. ^ a b c d "Ferndale High". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
10. ^ a b Highest CST English Scores, Proficient and Above (2013) in Humboldt County, California Schools Guide, Los Angeles Times, 2013
11. ^ a b Highest CST Math Scores, Proficient and Above (2013) in Humboldt County, California Schools Guide, Los Angeles Times, 2013
12. ^ a b Highest School Enrollments in Humboldt County, California Schools Guide, Los Angeles Times, 2013
13. ^ Lourenzo, Mark, Mustangs and Huskies send teams to youth football postseason; Mustangs host Sunday, Huskies the following weekend, Humboldt Beacon, October 25, 2012
14. ^ a b c d Ferndale High School SARC Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, 2008-2009 School Accountability Report Card (SARC), California Department of Education (CDE) SARC, 2009-2010
15. ^ Ferndale High /Ferndale Unified, School Report - API Growth and Targets Met, Academic Performance Index (API) Report, California Department of Education, Analysis Measurement and Accountability Reporting Division, September 19, 2013
16. ^ Highest Average SAT Scores in Humboldt County, California Schools Guide, 2013
17. ^ "Ferndale High School (CA) Varsity Football". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
18. ^ a b Jerome Holtzman (November 2000). Marathon Games for Starting Hurlers Are Ancient History. Baseball Digest. pp. 78–80. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
19. ^ Scott, Jeremiah R Jr (May 2002). "Len Casanova, A West Coast Football Legend" (PDF). College Football Historical Society Newsletter. 15 (3): 1–9. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
20. ^ Andrew R. Dodge; Betty K. Koed, eds. (2005). Biographical directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005: the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, inclusive. United States Congress. pp. 832–. ISBN 978-0-16-073176-1.
21. ^ Retired congressman from Ferndale to celebrate 90th birthday April 27, The Ferndale Enterprise, April 18, 2013
22. ^ "Sam Dungan Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
23. ^ a b White, Allison (August 15, 2010). "Bringing success back home to Ferndale: Entrepreneurship the focus of local video project with Guy Fieri". Eureka Times-Standard. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
24. ^ Michaelson, Judith (October 30, 1994). "The Sunday Profile : A Quiet Force: Dorothy E. Leavey loves sharing her millions with the needy and the deserving--especially children. But much of it is done anonymously. She doesn't like the fuss". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 5, 2014.

* Official website