Original Research by School Decision on Ferris H S
Ferris High School sits in Ferris, Texas, a small city in northern Ellis County along Interstate 45, roughly a short drive south of downtown Dallas. The city built its identity around brickmaking, earning the nickname "Brick Capital of the Nation," and its compact historic downtown square with late-1800s storefronts still anchors civic life. That heritage is giving way to a new chapter: publicly reported sources indicate the city has roughly doubled in population in recent years, and a massive mixed-use development along the future Loop 9 corridor is planned that could triple the city's size again, bringing thousands of new homes, data centers, and manufacturing facilities. Ferris ISD is already planning ahead, with voters approving a major bond in May 2025 to fund a new fifth-and-sixth-grade campus, expanded classroom space, and districtwide upgrades to absorb anticipated growth. Families considering a move here should know that Ferris ISD carries one of the higher school property tax rates in the county, and the approved bond includes a property tax increase.
Ferris High School serves grades nine through twelve with an enrollment that places it in a mid-sized range for a single-campus Texas high school. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of white students and a modest Black enrollment. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning this is a high-poverty school by any common measure. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
On Texas state assessments, the picture is mixed and parents should look at it closely. Science stands out clearly: nearly all students tested at the approaches-grade-level threshold, and a strong majority reached the "meets" standard, with a meaningful share achieving masters. That is a genuine strength. ELA results are more moderate, with roughly seven in ten students at approaches and about half at meets, while the share reaching masters is quite low. Math is the area of sharpest concern: fewer than two-thirds of students reached the approaches level, and the share meeting or mastering grade-level expectations is low, particularly at masters, where only a very small fraction of students scored. Social studies falls in between, with most students approaching grade level but well under half meeting it. Because only one year of data was available, trend information cannot be offered. A parent wanting to understand whether these results are improving, holding steady, or declining would need to ask the school directly.
The graduation rate was not available in the data provided, so no characterization of completion outcomes is possible here.
On the program side, the most concrete development is the P-TECH early college program, launched publicly in Fall 2022. Students can earn an associate degree and industry certifications at no cost while completing their high school diploma, with pathways tied to construction trades, logistics, and teaching. That is a meaningful credential opportunity for students who want to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year program with college credits already in hand. The 2025 bond also funded a P-TECH addition to the campus. Detailed AP course offerings and dual-credit options beyond P-TECH were not in the data provided.
Housing in Ferris is priced modestly below the Texas state benchmark and well below national medians, making it one of the more accessible entry points into the DFW metro area for buyers. Values have been roughly flat year over year rather than climbing, which reflects the broader softening in Texas home prices. Rental data was not available. With new-home subdivisions actively developing and the South Creek project on the horizon, the community's housing stock and school enrollment are both expected to grow substantially, which makes the district's capacity investments timely but also means the school environment will likely look different within a few years.
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