Benjamin Franklin Senior High, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Benjamin Franklin Senior High

Benjamin Franklin Senior High serves students in grades 6 through 12 in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles. The school draws a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment spans a middle school component of about a hundred students across grades 6-8, and a high school population roughly three times that size.

State testing results show proficiency levels well below the state median across all measured subjects. In English language arts, proficiency sits in the lower tier when compared to other schools countywide, with grade-level performance varying but remaining low across the board. Mathematics proficiency is similarly depressed. Science testing data, available only for grade 8, shows proficiency near the floor. The overall proficiency index places Benjamin Franklin in the bottom quartile among schools in Los Angeles County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place, and what the trajectory of student learning looks like across cohorts.

The housing market in the 90042 zip code, where the school is located, reflects the broader Los Angeles real estate environment: home values are substantial, and monthly rents have grown modestly year over year. For a family entering the market, the ratio of rent to household income sits above the national norm, a signal of affordability strain. Property taxes have also shifted with the passage of Measure US, LAUSD's largest school facilities bond, which will raise taxes on the assessed value of homes over a multiDecade span.

Los Angeles Unified, the parent district, has recently implemented a district-wide cellphone ban affecting all students throughout the entire school day, including lunch and breaks, using lockable storage in most middle and high schools. This is a significant change to school culture and the logistics of student-parent communication during the day. The district has also overhauled its Black Student Achievement Plan, which funds culturally responsive curriculum and dedicated counseling staff; the 2025-26 budget included additional funding for this program.

Benjamin Franklin is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. State testing data for high school grades is not available, which reflects the fact that California's Smarter Balanced assessment is administered in grades 6-8 and in some high school subject areas, not across the full secondary band. A parent seeking to understand high school academic outcomes and college readiness at this school would need to inquire directly about graduation rates, college placement, course offerings, and any dual-credit or career pathways the school offers, as those details fall outside the state assessment system.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

87.0%Cohort of 283 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 35% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 34% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 32% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 46% · ▼ 37 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 46% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 45% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Science

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 27% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolLos Angeles Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.