The top reported proficiency rate is 17% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Benjamin Franklin Academy Chartered Public School (m)
Benjamin Franklin Academy Chartered Public School sits on Chichester Road in Loudon, a rural New Hampshire town best known for the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The school opened in the fall of 2023 after state approval the prior December, making it a relatively new addition to the educational options in the area. It is a free public charter school serving grades six through eight at this campus, with publicly reported descriptions of its mission emphasizing a content-rich liberal arts education paired with hands-on learning in industrial, artisan, and agricultural trades. For families in Loudon and surrounding communities, this means an alternative to the conventional middle school pathway, which for most Loudon residents runs through Merrimack Valley Middle School in Penacook.
The school is very small, with a total enrollment that fits comfortably in a single classroom per grade. The student body is nearly entirely white, with only a small handful of students identifying as Black or Hispanic. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is quite low relative to what many public schools see. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those population characteristics are not available here. A parent weighing fit may want to ask the school directly about special education services and supports for diverse learners, since the public data does not speak to either.
On state assessments, the most recent results are limited. No sixth grade results are available at all, as no sixth graders were tested. For the grades where testing did occur, proficiency was low across subjects. In math, a small fraction of seventh and eighth graders reached proficiency. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of seventh graders were proficient, while the eighth grade rate was lower still. Science results for eighth grade show essentially no students reaching the proficient threshold. Participation rates varied, with one grade's participation below full and the other closer to complete. Because the tested groups are tiny, a single student's result shifts the picture considerably, and the school is also in its early years of operation. These proficiency results are what the state reported, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking how the curriculum aligns with state standards and what supports are in place for students working below grade level.
No multi-year trend data is available yet, which is expected given the school only recently opened. There is no graduation rate to report, as this campus serves only middle grades. Civil rights data, discipline information, course access details, staffing figures, and attendance metrics were not provided in the available records, so those dimensions of school life cannot be described here.
Loudon itself is a spread-out rural community of scattered villages and open land. The town has no public transportation and no rail service, so getting to and from the school requires a car. The village center along the Soucook River holds a small cluster of homes and civic offices, but most of the town's residents live at low density across roughly forty-six square miles. The New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the dominant employer and cultural presence, though it operates seasonally for race events. Other local employers include greenhouse operations and small manufacturers. The town has grown steadily over several decades, with planning documents in place including a Master Plan and zoning ordinance. Housing in the area carries typical home values close to the statewide benchmark and well above the national figure, with current mortgage rates hovering in the mid-six percent range. Rental data for the immediate area was not available.
What this school offers is a distinctive curricular vision, a very small peer environment, and a public charter option in a town where the default middle school sits in a neighboring community. The academic results from the most recent state testing are weak as reported, and the school's newness means there is no track record yet to assess whether those numbers reflect a starting point or a persistent pattern. Families drawn to the liberal-arts-plus-trades model and a small, close-knit setting may find the concept worth exploring, and the questions worth bringing to the school are direct ones about academic supports, special education, and how the program plans to build proficiency over time.
See more original research from School Decision →