The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Social studies. The lowest is 54% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Forest Park Middle
Forest Park Middle is the sole public middle school for the Franklin Public School District, serving sixth through eighth graders in a suburban setting about a quarter-hour south of downtown Milwaukee. The building is one of several district schools that received recent facility upgrades, including security enhancements and HVAC replacements, paid for by a capital referendum voters approved a few years ago. The district also passed two recurring operational referendums in 2024 that will permanently raise its revenue cap, securing class sizes and programming for the foreseeable future while raising local property taxes. That tax increase is part of a broader pattern: Franklin is one of the fastest-growing communities in Wisconsin, with a population that has risen sharply over the past decade, and home values in the school's ZIP code are well above the state average. A new Costco warehouse is under construction, and the city's vision emphasizes mixed-use commercial centers and new office parks alongside residential neighborhoods. Housing costs are high enough that a typical mortgage or rent would consume a considerable share of a median household income, though the school's own student body shows a relatively modest share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Academically, Forest Park Middle performs at a level that puts it in the top quarter among districts across Milwaukee County, based on a combined measure of proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In math, results are consistently strong across all three grades, with the largest share of students scoring at proficient or above in seventh grade. English language arts results are similarly solid, though slightly lower in seventh grade than in sixth and eighth. Science, which is tested only in eighth grade, shows a softer result: just over half of students reached proficiency, a figure that a parent may want to discuss with the school, especially given that the district recently adopted a new literacy curriculum for K-5 that aligns with the state's science-of-reading law. Social studies scores in eighth grade are the highest of any subject tested. Participation rates on the state assessments were near universal, which means the reported results reflect almost all enrolled students.
The school enrolls a large number of students for a middle school, with roughly balanced class sizes across the three grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Asian population and a Hispanic population of about the same size. Black and multiracial students together make up a much smaller share. The free-or-reduced-price lunch rate, about one in five students, is relatively low by national standards and well below the county average. Civil rights data on discipline, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism were not available in the provided materials, so those aspects of school climate cannot be described here with evidence.
Franklin itself is a city without a traditional downtown. City Hall and other municipal offices are spread along major roads, and Lions Legend Park functions as a gathering place for events like the annual Independence Celebration. The Root River runs through town. The city's growth is visible in both new retail and the expansion of the Franklin Business Park, which hosts manufacturing businesses. For families weighing this school, the academic record is a clear strength, backed by strong foundational funding and recent infrastructure investment. The peer environment is large and relatively affluent; the school's size means course offerings and extracurriculars typical of a well-resourced suburban district, though specific program details were not included in the data available here. A family moving to Franklin can expect a suburban setting with rising property values and ongoing commercial development, paired with a middle school that posts above-average test results relative to other schools in the county.
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