The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elementary School
Franklin Elementary School serves the town of Franklin, a small rural county seat in south-central Nebraska. The school covers pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and is a regular public school within the Franklin Public Schools district. With an enrollment that is small for its grade band, the school’s student body is predominantly white, with a small number of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, or two or more races. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as rates for special education and English learner services, were not available.
The town of Franklin is compact, built on a traditional grid pattern with a small downtown commercial strip. Civic life centers on the downtown area, and the community describes itself as a place where neighbors know each other. The town is experiencing a gradual population decline, which shapes the context families encounter when considering the area. Housing values in the ZIP code that includes Franklin are well below both the state and national benchmarks, and the area’s affordability is notable in that context.
State testing results from the most recent school year present a mixed picture. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency varied widely by grade. Third graders tested at a rate that was below the midpoint of schools statewide. Fourth and fifth graders had no students reaching the proficiency benchmark. Sixth graders, who take the assessment as part of this elementary school’s configuration, performed considerably better, with a strong majority meeting proficiency. In math, no students in any tested grade reached the proficiency bar. In science, the same outcome appeared for fifth graders. These are clear areas where a parent would want to look into the school’s instructional approach and student support further.
Because Franklin Public Schools is the only school district in Franklin County, there is no meaningful comparison set against other local districts. The school operates without a charter or magnet designation, and no data on Title I status, chronic absenteeism, or staffing was provided. The school does not serve grades beyond fifth, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The district brief turned up no recent changes of the kind that would have a lasting impact on a family’s experience, such as boundary shifts, school closures, or major program overhauls. This absence of publicized change suggests a period of relative stability in district operations.
For a family considering Franklin, the elementary school sits at the center of a small, slowly shrinking community with affordable housing and a straightforward, traditional school setting. The testing results point to significant academic challenges, particularly in math and science, where proficiency rates were zero across tested grades. The variation in English results from grade to grade, with a stronger showing in sixth grade, is something worth discussing with the school to understand how curriculum and support are structured across the elementary years. This is a school where the academic data raises questions that go beyond a simple snapshot, and a parent would be well served to visit and ask about how the school addresses these areas.
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