Yeah, it seems plenty safe enough, but it is hard to parse out the acadmics. If I'm reading this right [[and I'm probably not), Michigan Department of Education thought only 12 Oakland County high schools ranked higher than Ferndale in 2012.

http://oaklandcounty115.com/2012/08/...-state-scores/

So even if I'm not reading that quite right, it's still not the basement. [['Not the Basement' is engraved over the main doors of FHS)

Some success at marching bands though:
http://www.candgnews.com/news/credit...ing-band-78903