Franklin Elementary School, Syracuse NY

Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elementary School

Franklin Elementary is a public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Syracuse, located on South Alvord Street. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with Black and Asian students each making up a significant share of the student population, alongside smaller numbers of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions in the neighborhoods the school serves.

The school's recent state assessment results show markedly low proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from the mid-teens in fifth grade to around one-third in third grade. In English language arts, results are similarly modest, with proficiency ranging from under one-fifth in fourth grade to under one-third in fifth grade. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, falls in the low teens. These results position the school in the bottom quartile of districts across Onondaga County by overall proficiency index. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about the academic supports and interventions in place, reading acceleration programs, and how the school responds to students working below grade level.

Franklin feeds into the Syracuse City School District, which has seen several developments that shape the educational landscape families navigate. The district opened the Syracuse STEAM High School in fall 2025, a regional technical high school offering concentrations in semiconductor technology, robotics, and other fields tied to Micron's planned investment in the region. The school is accessible to Franklin students as they progress to high school. The district also observes Eid al-Fitr as a no-school holiday, reflecting the presence of Muslim and refugee families in the community. State-funded construction bonding has enabled ongoing facility upgrades across district buildings.

Syracuse itself is in transition. The city has long faced sluggish growth, but Micron Technology's planned semiconductor campus in nearby Clay is catalyzing rapid regional investment and housing development. Downtown Syracuse is walkable and mixed-use, with institutional anchors like Syracuse University adjacent to the urban core. The city maintains an extensive park system and has seen vacant industrial and office buildings converted to residential use. Housing values in the area are modest relative to national averages, and the rental market similarly reflects affordability. Th region's major employers are now health systems and higher education institutions; manufacturing has declined from its historical prominence. This growth phase means families choosing schools in Syracuse are doing so in a community entering a period of change and new opportunity, with infrastructure and employment shifting toward technology and services.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 29% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 19% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 17% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 24% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 27% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 16% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 551%

School 51% · district not reported

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

This schoolSYRACUSE 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income40%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income10%Higher-income40%30 pp gap