Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Teaneck NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Benjamin Franklin Middle School

Benjamin Franklin Middle School is a regular public school in Teaneck, serving grades five through eight as part of the Teaneck School District. The school sits within a suburban Bergen County township that functions as a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. Teaneck has a notably diverse population with long-established Jewish and African American communities alongside growing Hispanic and Asian populations. The township lacks a single downtown, instead distributing its commercial activity across four shopping corridors, and its civic buildings and schools are woven into residential neighborhoods rather than isolated on separate campuses.

The student body reflects that diversity. Hispanic students form the largest group, followed by Black students, with smaller shares of White, Asian, and multiracial students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic diversity that shapes the school's context. Enrollment is moderate for a middle school of this grade band, and the school is not a magnet or charter.

On New Jersey state assessments, the school's performance is strongest in English language arts. In grade six, a solid majority of students scored proficient or above, and in grade seven the share was above half as well. Fifth and eighth grade ELA results were close to the halfway mark. Math results are notably lower across all four grades, with proficiency rates that hover around a quarter to just over a third, depending on the grade. Science scores are the softest area: only a small share of fifth graders and an even smaller share of eighth graders reached proficiency. When compared across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quarter of districts in Bergen County. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school about math and science instruction and support, particularly given the gap with ELA.

Teaneck's housing market is expensive by national and state standards. Home values and rents are high, and the county's market is active with a moderate supply of listings. The township has seen gradual population growth over the past two decades, and its 2024 Master Plan prioritizes commercial revitalization and pedestrian and bike-friendly streets. Major employers include Cognizant Technology Solutions, Holy Name Medical Center, and Fairleigh Dickinson University's Metropolitan Campus, all of which anchor the local economy.

Within the district, the most notable recent change is the opening of a new early childhood school in 2020, which expanded PreK and kindergarten capacity and redrew attendance boundaries for the district's youngest students. That does not directly affect Benjamin Franklin Middle School, but it signals district-level investment in early education.

This is a school where a family will find a diverse peer environment and a community that reflects a range of economic backgrounds. The academic picture is uneven: ELA results give reason for confidence, while math and science results are areas where the school and district may be working to improve. The housing market in Teaneck is costly, so the school's demographic mix may differ from that of more affluent parts of Bergen County. For a parent weighing middle school options, the data available here offers a clear view of academic outcomes but does not include information on programs, course access, discipline, or staffing, which limits what can be said about the day-to-day experience. A conversation with the school about its approach to math and science instruction, as well as any enrichment or support programs, would be a natural next step.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 42% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 729%

School 29% · District 31% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 23% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 47% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 60% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 56% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 58% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 24% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 14% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolTeaneck School District, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income56%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income65%Higher-income72%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income65%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income59%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income44%11 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income29%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income19%Higher-income38%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income30%4 pp gap