Original Research by School Decision on Ben Franklin Elementary School
Ben Franklin Elementary sits on South 20th Street in Grand Forks, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Grand Forks 1 school district. It is a regular public school with an enrollment that is moderate for an elementary building in a city of this size. The student body is predominantly white, with representation from Hispanic, multiracial, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian students adding some diversity to the mix. A sizable but not overwhelming share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
Grand Forks is North Dakota's third-largest city, built where the Red River meets the Red Lake River. The University of North Dakota sits in the heart of town and is the largest employer in the metropolitan area, giving the city a strong higher-education character. Altru Health System, Grand Forks Air Force Base just west of the city, and state and federal government round out the major employers, along with manufacturing and food processing. The city recovered strongly from a devastating Red River flood in the late 1990s, building a levee system and converting the floodplain into the Greater Grand Forks Greenway, a large linear park. Post-flood development brought the Alerus Center and Ralph Engelstad Arena, and the city has surpassed its pre-flood population, employment, and taxable sales. Residential and commercial growth has spread southward, where enclosed shopping malls and suburban neighborhoods define much of the landscape.
On state assessments, Ben Franklin's results from the most recent year present a mixed picture. This was the first year under North Dakota's new A-PLUS assessment, with changed cut scores, so the results are not directly comparable to prior years and no trend data is available. In math, proficiency rates climb from the lower elementary into the upper grades, with fifth grade showing the strongest performance, approaching the midpoint. Third and fourth grade math results sit below that, in a more modest range. English language arts results are less consistent, with fourth grade being the weakest and third and fifth grade landing in a middling band. Science, tested only in fourth grade, came in on the lower end. Participation was strong across all tested grades. A parent weighing these results may want to ask the school how it supports literacy growth in the intermediate grades, given the uneven ELA pattern.
The housing market around Ben Franklin reflects Grand Forks' steady growth. Typical home values in the school's zip code run above the state benchmark but below the national figure, and values have been rising at a healthy clip year over year. Rents have climbed similarly. Mortgage costs at current rates run well above typical rents, so renting remains the more affordable option for many families relative to buying. The broader economic context is stable, with unemployment holding flat and household incomes trending upward nationally.
Within the Grand Forks 1 district, two developments may matter to families. A new Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School is in planning and design at Grand Forks Air Force Base, funded through increased federal Impact Aid revenue, with the district positioned as one of ten schools nationally on military installations that may access federal construction dollars. Voters also passed a referendum supporting district construction and facility improvements, including security upgrades and capital projects that have come in under budget. These investments signal a district actively maintaining and expanding its infrastructure.
Ben Franklin does not have graduation rate data, which is expected because it serves only elementary grades. Data on staffing, attendance, discipline, course access, and program offerings was not available, so those aspects of the school environment could not be assessed. A family considering Ben Franklin would want to visit and ask directly about teacher experience, classroom supports, and enrichment opportunities, since the public data on those fronts is thin. What the available evidence shows is a mid-sized neighborhood elementary in a stable, growing university city, with math results that strengthen in the upper grades and literacy results that a parent may want to probe further.
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