John A. Ferguson Senior High School was built to alleviate overcrowding at G. Holmes Braddock High School, and Felix Varela High School, which had reached staggering populations of over 5,000. The school opened in the 2003-2004 school year with its first class attending G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School during more than half of the school year; Ferguson students were stationed in the back portables of the school. Students moved into the newly opened campus during the second half of the second semester as scheduled, although the school was not yet entirely completed.
The school is an Academy Based school, in which all students are entered into an academy of their choosing during their ninth grade year. Leadership classes are required by freshmen to make informed decisions into an academy. The exception to this rule is the International Baccalaureate Program which applicants apply for in their 8th grade year and begin Pre-IB classes their Freshman year.
Each academy offers a variety of post secondary opportunities including scholarships, internships, and college credit.
Overcrowding
The school currently has a population of approx. 2,600 (Grades 9-11), which is already slightly above the intended population for this school. Without a senior class and the looming possibility of the school reaching a population of 4,000, the school is building an 850 student station building in the back of the school.
However, along with the new seniors in 2006, the school will be accepting much more than 850 students, so the question remains on how the overcrowding problem will be solved.
