The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Jr/sr High School
Franklin Jr/Sr High School is a small school serving grades 6 through 12 in the village of Franklin, a rural community in southeastern Morgan County. The school enrolls roughly a small cohort of students, with seventh and eighth grades each in the mid-range and high school grades fairly evenly distributed from ninth through twelfth. The student body is predominantly white, with very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education enrollment were not available.
The school's academic performance shows uneven results across subjects and grades. In English language arts, the school demonstrates real strength in the middle and upper grades: seventh grade proficiency is high, and eighth grade lands solidly above midpoint. Sixth grade ELA proficiency is also respectable. Mathematics tells a different story. Sixth grade math proficiency is low, seventh grade is very low, and eighth grade math proficiency is notably weak, with only a small share of students meeting state standards. In science, eighth grade proficiency sits just above midpoint. State testing data for elementary grades (third through fifth) at this school are not yet available, which is typical as those grades may not have been tested or the data have not been released. The school achieved a proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades that places it above the midpoint among Morgan County districts, but a parent may want to look closely at the mathematics trajectory, where performance becomes progressively more challenged as students move through the junior high grades.
The school is located in Franklin, a very small village of about a square mile with a flat population over recent years. The area is agricultural and residential in character, part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, and sits about 14 miles from Jacksonville and 30 miles from Springfield. Housing values in the zip code are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, making the area relatively affordable. The village has civic anchors including a public library and historic churches, and an annual Burgoo Festival tied to the town's farming heritage. No fixed-route public transit was identified. The surrounding economic context includes agricultural employment and likely commuting to nearby larger towns for additional job opportunities.
Data on the school's graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, staff composition, course offerings, and Title I status were not available or not provided. Program information beyond standard course instruction was not found in the data. The district brief indicates no recent major curriculum, policy, or referendum changes with documented parent relevance. For families considering this school, the key takeaway is a mixed academic picture: genuine strength in reading at the upper junior high level, but mathematics performance that declines noticeably through the grades and warrants closer conversation with the school about curriculum, tutoring, and student support in that subject.
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