Franklin Elementary, Port Angeles WA

Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elementary

Franklin Elementary is a regular public school in Port Angeles, serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. It sits within the Port Angeles School District, the primary school system for this city on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where the economy mixes tourism, government, maritime industry, and the nearby Olympic National Park. The school’s enrollment is moderate for its grade band, and most students are white, with smaller shares who are Hispanic, of two or more races, or American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic need is a meaningful part of the school’s context.

State testing results are available for the 2024-25 school year in math, English language arts, and science. Because Franklin is an elementary school, no graduation rate is reported, and no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Clallam County, a clear strength. Within that positive frame, performance varies by grade and subject. In math, proficiency rates are strongest in third grade and sixth grade, while fifth grade shows a softer spot. In English language arts, fourth and sixth graders perform well, while third and fifth graders are lower. Science, tested only in fifth grade, falls in a moderate range. Because only one year of data is present, there is no trend to assess. Parents may want to ask the school about how it supports students in the grades where achievement dips, particularly fifth-grade math and reading.

The housing context around Franklin shows home values that are above the national median but below the state median for Washington, which tends to be higher. Rents are substantial relative to incomes, and the local mortgage-to-rent comparison suggests buying is more expensive than renting in the area. Port Angeles has seen modest population growth since 2020, and its downtown is a walkable grid with a working waterfront and ferry service to Victoria, British Columbia. The district itself does not appear to have undergone major recent changes that would affect families; a search for parent-relevant developments found little of lasting impact.

Franklin Elementary does not report program offerings such as magnet or career pathways, and no information on staffing ratios or course access was available. The school is not a charter or magnet. Title I status was not provided, though the share of students receiving meal assistance would typically make a school eligible for federal Title I funding. Families considering Franklin will find a school that performs well compared with others in Clallam County, set in a community with a distinct character anchored by the outdoors and the harbor, but they should look into how the school addresses the variation in achievement across grades, especially in the upper elementary years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 59% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 52% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 44% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 42% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 54% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 54% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 59% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 48% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 63% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

This schoolPort Angeles 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 3Lower-income42%Higher-income82%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income52%Higher-income86%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income44%Higher-income71%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income44%Higher-income71%28 pp gap