Ferndale

WITH AN AVERAGE OF 3,000 STUDENTS PER YEAR, Ferndale has the smallest enrollment of the three districts, something Good says helps make the Ferndale Schools exceptional.

“One thing I love about Ferndale is that we are a small community school district with enough resources to offer the same as other districts but in a smaller package,” he says. “A place where students, teachers and community members work together in a way which you don’t see in education today, that’s what makes Ferndale special.”

Ferndale’s district is comprised of seven schools, including an early childhood center, a lower and upper elementary school – the only school located within Oak Park city limits – one middle school, two high schools and an adult education and alternative program.

The diversity of the student body, Good says, adds to Ferndale’s appeal, much of which comes from Oak Park through district residents and School of Choice.

“It’s amazing meeting people from so many different backgrounds,” he says. “We appreciate the diversity that all of our kids bring through experiences and backgrounds. Oak Park is a very diverse, international community and we appreciate that rich international diversity.”

 FERNDALE ALSO TOUTS THEIR MANY SUCCESSFUL ATHLETIC TEAMS, including volleyball, baseball, softball and football district champions in 2018 and an internationally-ranked FIRST robotics team, IMPI Robotics.

“What I really love about Ferndale is that we have a robotics team that made it to international championships, a wrestling team with several members who made states, a baseball team with district and league champions – all of our athletic teams excel.”

The combination of a rich diverse student population, globally ranked athletic and extracurricular teams and smaller, focused classes cause Ferndale School District to stand out.

“I believe that we’re a really unique place in that we offer high- quality athletic, arts and academic opportunities,” Good says. “It’s really unique to see a school district excel in all the areas that way – the way Ferndale does with incredible diversity and rich culture and that’s what attracts people.”