Franklin Elementary, Milwaukee WI

Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elementary

Franklin Elementary is a regular public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the Milwaukee School District, the largest district in Wisconsin. It is a neighborhood school in the city's 53206 ZIP code, an area with deep roots in Milwaukee's historically segregated and economically challenged north side. The school covers both elementary and middle grades, meaning students can attend from early childhood through the end of middle school without needing to change buildings.

The student body is small and heavily concentrated in a single racial group. Nearly all students are Black, with a very small shares of Hispanic students and those identifying as two or more races and a single White student reported. A large majority of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the high poverty rate that characterizes much of the city. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how these populations are served.

On the Wisconsin Forward state assessments, proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades are very low. In most elementary grades, both math and English language arts show virtually no students reaching the proficient or advanced levels, with only isolated individuals scoring at that bar in a few grades. In upper grades, the pattern improves only slightly: sixth-grade ELA and eighth-grade social studies show modestly higher but still single-digit proficiency rates. Science results follow a similar pattern. When compared with other school districts across Milwaukee County, the school's overall proficiency index places in the bottom quarter of the county, meaning most other schools in the area serve students who, on average, score far higher.

These results are a major soft spot. A parent considering Franklin Elementary would want to understand what academic supports are in place, how the school is working to raise achievement, and what programs exist for students who are behind grade level. The district's own budget challenges, publicly reported as a projected deficit for the coming year, could add pressure on resources and staffing.

The school building itself sits within Milwaukee's larger context of population decline and uneven economic growth. Housing in the surrounding zip code is relatively affordable, with home values well below national and state medians, and rents also below typical metro levels. The area is largely residential and car-dependent, with limited downtown-style street life in the immediate neighborhood. The Milwaukee School District recently passed a referendum to fund accessibility improvements in aging school buildings, and it is working through a long-range facilities plan that could lead to school closures or consolidations in coming years. Franklin Elementary's status within that plan was not specified in the available data.

This is a school where nearly every student comes from a low-income household and where proficiency on state tests is very low across all grades and subjects. A family choosing Franklin should expect to be highly engaged in monitoring their child's progress and seeking additional support, since the school's current outcomes are far below state averages. The school's small enrollment and PK-8 structure mean that children can stay in a single building through middle school, which some families value for stability. The data provided does not include information on programs, extracurriculars, or staffing, so a parent would want to visit and ask directly about what is offered.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 30%

School 0% · District 24% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 19% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 18% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 47 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 18% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 78%

School 8% · District 22% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 19% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 34%

School 4% · District 22% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 44%

School 4% · District 22% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 21% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 24% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 713%

School 13% · District 28% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 29% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Science

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 20% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 22% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 44%

School 4% · District 32% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 61 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 36% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

This schoolMilwaukee 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.