Original Research by School Decision on John A. Ferguson Senior High
John A. Ferguson Senior High sits in the southwestern corner of Miami, part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, one of the largest urban districts in the country. The school serves students in grades nine through twelve and carries a notably large enrollment, making it one of the bigger high schools in its setting. Students are distributed fairly evenly across all four grade levels, which is a sign of relatively stable retention through the upper grades.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with that group comprising the vast majority of enrollment. White students make up a small share, Asian students a smaller one, and all other groups are present in very small numbers. Close to half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in moderate-to-high economic need territory for a Miami-area campus. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in the data provided.
On academic performance, state assessment results were not available in the payload. No proficiency data, trend lines, or graduation rate appeared in the comparison set either, meaning this narrative cannot characterize how Ferguson students perform on Florida's state tests relative to peers in Miami-Dade County. That is a real gap for a family weighing this school, and it is worth asking the school directly for its most recent Florida school grade and subject-level proficiency breakdowns. Program offerings were also not included in the data, so specifics about AP courses, dual enrollment, career and technical pathways, or magnet tracks could not be confirmed here. Ferguson's size alone suggests a high school of this scale typically fields a broad course catalog, but that is not an inference this account can make from the available data.
The surrounding area is the suburban-residential southwest Miami zone, physically removed from the walkable, transit-connected downtown core. The broader Miami context is relevant context for a family relocating here. Miami is a large, dense urban city whose neighborhoods vary widely in character, from the finance and cultural hub of downtown to tree-lined Coral Way and the Latin American cultural anchors of Little Havana. The region's major employers span government, health care, education, and tourism, with institutions like Jackson Health System, Baptist Health South Florida, and the University of Miami among the prominent private employers. Miami's transit spine, the Metrorail and the free Metromover downtown, does not reach the southwest quadrant where Ferguson sits, so car dependence in this part of the city is the practical reality for most families.
The housing market near the school carries home values that run well above both the Florida state and national medians, and rents represent a substantial share of household income at current rates. Year-over-year, home values in this zip code have edged slightly downward while rents have crept up. Buying here requires a serious income commitment; renting remains expensive relative to income even as ownership costs have softened slightly.
At the district level, parents should be aware of two issues that have immediate practical consequences. Miami-Dade is experiencing sustained enrollment decline, and the district proposed closing or consolidating a number of schools across its three regions in spring 2026, with some campuses being restructured into new grade configurations. Families moving into the area should verify that boundary assignments and school configurations are settled before committing to a neighborhood. Separately, a voter-approved property tax levy that funds teacher pay and campus safety is set to expire unless renewed, which affects both school staffing quality and the ongoing cost to homeowners. Florida is also moving toward a stricter statewide cell phone policy that would affect daily classroom life across the district by the end of 2026.
Ferguson is a large, predominantly Hispanic public high school in a high-cost corner of a major urban district going through real structural change. The academic picture is unclear from available data, and a parent would do well to seek out current state report card results and ask specifically about course access and postsecondary outcomes before enrolling.
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