Ben Franklin Middle School, Buffalo NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ben Franklin Middle School

Ben Franklin Middle School serves students in grades five through seven in Buffalo, a mid-sized city with a mixed-use downtown and residential neighborhoods organized around commercial avenues. The school is part of the Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District, which covers several neighboring communities and has undergone substantial change in recent years.

The school's enrollment is small to moderate for a middle school, with a student body that is majority white. About half the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a mixed-income community. Data on students receiving special education services or learning English as an additional language was not available, so a parent may want to look into the school's support programs directly.

Academic proficiency results show a mixed picture by grade level and subject. In mathematics, students in seventh grade perform notably better than those in grades five and six, with seventh-grade proficiency well above the midpoint for the county. Fifth and sixth graders show lower proficiency rates in both math and English language arts. English language arts performance is somewhat higher than math in grades five and six, with seventh grade showing solid proficiency. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits near the county median. Across tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Erie County districts, a strength worth noting. Most students participate in state assessments at high rates, suggesting the school has good engagement in testing.

Ben Franklin occupies a location on Parkhurst Boulevard in Buffalo's north side. The city itself offers urban walkability concentrated on commercial avenues and in the downtown core, with older housing stock and a network of transit. The Kenmore-Tonawanda district has recently completed a substantial capital project that improved school facilities, including new secured entrances, water-pipe replacement, and athletic upgrades, funded primarily by state aid. The district also operates a free, full-day universal pre-kindergarten program that has attracted new families to the area.

The district is currently weighing a significant restructuring proposal that could shift grade configurations at multiple schools, including Ben Franklin, as a response to budget pressure and enrollment shifts toward charter and private schools. This proposal remains under discussion and could alter school assignments if approved. A family considering this school should check on the current status of these discussions with the district, as they represent a potential change to the school landscape.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 42% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 47% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 62% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 51% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 46% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 49% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 45% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 890%

School 90% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolKENMORE-TONAWANDA UNION FREE 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%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income57%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income63%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income40%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income30%Higher-income52%22 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income56%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income52%Higher-income72%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income4%Higher-income20%16 pp gap