Franklin Lower School, Rochester NY

Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Lower School

Franklin Lower School serves seventh and eighth grade students in Rochester, a mid-sized city anchored by healthcare, higher education, and advanced manufacturing that has undergone significant downtown revitalization and adaptive-housing projects in recent years. The school sits in a neighborhood with a mix of residential character and ongoing development.

The school enrolls a small cohort for its grade band, with the vast majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting Rochester's economic conditions. The student body is predominantly Black, with substantial representation of Hispanic students and smaller populations of Asian and white students. Data on students in special education or learning English were not available in the records reviewed.

State test results show very low proficiency. In the most recent year, seventh-grade math proficiency was in the low single digits, and eighth-grade math proficiency was zero. Seventh-grade English language arts proficiency was also in the low single digits, while eighth-grade ELA was somewhat higher but still well below most schools. Eighth-grade science proficiency was zero. Participation rates on standardized tests were partial, ranging from roughly one-third to two-thirds of students per grade and subject. A parent may want to look into whether absences or other factors affect participation, or what the school's approach is to assessment preparation and attendance.

When placed against other districts in Monroe County, Franklin Lower School's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. This means students are testing substantially below the median performance observed across the county's schools. The school does not serve high school grades, so a graduation rate is not applicable.

The Rochester City School District underwent major restructuring beginning in the school year that includes this data, closing schools and reestablishing a middle-school system. Franklin Lower was among the schools that continued operating under this realignment. The district also ended its educational partnership with the University of Rochester at other schools and faced significant budget reductions due to the end of federal COVID-relief funding and declining overall enrollment. These shifts affect staffing levels, program stability, and the broader district context in which the school operates.

Housing in the zip code where Franklin Lower sits is relatively affordable by national standards, with median home values modest and rents moderate. The rental market there shows slight growth pressure year-over-year. This is a neighborhood where many working families with school-age children can find housing, though the area's economic conditions are reflected in the high share of students on free and reduced-price lunch.

The data provided did not include information on Franklin Lower's specific programs, course offerings, after-school activities, or staffing ratios. A parent considering this school would benefit from visiting the school and the district's website to understand what academic supports, extracurricular options, and daily structures the school provides to students working significantly below grade-level proficiency.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2023-24

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Math	26	31.0%
Science	25	28.0%

Math

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 18% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 75%

School 5% · District 15% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 4% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 20% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 17% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 19% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 10% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolROCHESTER CITY 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.