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Benjamin Franklin Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

11^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 486 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 98% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Benjamin Franklin Middle School is a public school serving grades 6–8 with 823 students at 605 Campbell in Valparaiso, Indiana, part of Valparaiso Community Schools, one of Indiana's strongest districts.

Benjamin Franklin Middle School is a genuine state standout. In 2025–2026 it ranked 11th of 486 Indiana middle schools — the 98th percentile — and it has earned five stars every year on record, making this its best placement in a decade. Proficiency sits well above state averages in every grade and subject tested: 67.65% in ELA, 62.87% in math, and 72.08% in science, with gaps over the state of roughly 20 to 33 points. Chronic absenteeism is 8.5%, about half the state rate of 16.7%, and the school spends $11,328 per student — below the peer average of about $12,200 — while still producing top-decile results.

Within its own district, it outperforms Thomas Jefferson Middle School by 15.5 points in ELA and 12.8 points in math; Thomas Jefferson ranks 61st statewide. The fairer benchmark, though, is Duneland: Liberty Middle School (6th in the state) edges Benjamin Franklin in both ELA and math with nearly identical poverty and class-size figures, and Westchester Middle School (10th) leads in ELA but trails in math. Most of that regional gap is concentrated in 8th grade.

Two things for parents to weigh: Benjamin Franklin's 6th grade is the strongest in the region among comparable middle schools, but proficiency then slides steadily through 8th grade, especially in math, dropping 18 points across the three grades. The 98.46% Biology end-of-course result reflects a small, advanced cohort rather than the whole school. Overall, it's a top-2% school whose trajectory is clearly upward.

823

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,328

Per pupil spending ?

24.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

605 Campbell
Valparaiso, IN 46385

(219) 531-3020

District: Valparaiso Community Schools

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Middle School usually attend:

High:

Valparaiso High School

Feeder schools for Benjamin Franklin Middle School:

Elementary:	Central Elementary School
	Cooks Corners Elementary School
	Memorial Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.8%

Hispanic:

13.1%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Benjamin Franklin Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 93rd percentile in 2016 → 98th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 2% of Indiana middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg66%

11^th of 486

Indiana public middle schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 7% (2016) to top 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Valparaiso Community Schools

10^th of 374Valparaiso Community Schools among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	95.8	11 of 486	97.7%	★★★★★
2025	94.5	18 of 480	96.3%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	28 of 491	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	94.2	17 of 489	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	93.7	23 of 490	95.3%	★★★★★
2021	93.5	22 of 483	95.4%	★★★★★
2019	92.2	24 of 470	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	87.5	31 of 473	93.4%	★★★★★
2017	87.4	30 of 472	93.6%	★★★★★
2016	84.6	33 of 494	93.3%	★★★★★
2015	84.0	47 of 485	90.3%	★★★★★
2014	79.9	55 of 470	88.3%	★★★★☆
2013	83.0	35 of 444	92.1%	★★★★★
2012	87.5	18 of 447	96.0%	★★★★★
2011	87.4	19 of 451	95.8%	★★★★★
2010	86.3	20 of 428	95.3%	★★★★★
2009	90.4	15 of 423	96.5%	★★★★★
2008	85.2	24 of 392	93.9%	★★★★★
2007	85.7	21 of 382	94.5%	★★★★★
2006	82.2	35 of 375	90.7%	★★★★★
2005	83.5	28 of 370	92.4%	★★★★★
2004	81.8	25 of 222	88.7%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Biology98%

Science72%

English Language Arts68%

Math63%

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Thursday, February 3, 2011

Teachers and administrators at Ben Franklin really care about all students. It is a great place to be. Close Quote

Schools Near Benjamin Franklin Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)					ILEARN Math (2026)					ILEARN Science (2026)		ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	ILEARN Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Benjamin Franklin Middle School	Public	6-8	605 Campbell	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(219) 531-3020	823	56	14.6	24.5%	640 (77.8%)	18 (2.2%)	108 (13.1%)	19 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.5%)	95.8	11^th of 486 public middle schools	97.7%		94.5	18^th of 480 public middle schools	96.3%	7		69.6	68.0	65.2	67.7		72.4	61.3	54.2	62.9	72.1	72.1		98.5	$11,328	$387	$10,941
Thomas Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	1600 Roosevelt Rd	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(219) 531-3140	632	52	12.1	39.7%	453 (71.7%)	35 (5.5%)	104 (16.5%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.6%)	83.7	61^st of 486 public middle schools	87.4%		84.4	62^nd of 480 public middle schools	87.1%	1		60.5	49.3	46.2	52.2		56.7	49.3	43.9	50.1	69.4	69.4		100.0	$11,849	$194	$11,654
Union Township Middle School	Public	6-8	599 W 300 N	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Union Township School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 759-2562	333	24	14.1	26.7%	267 (80.2%)	9 (2.7%)	49 (14.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	85.8	51^st of 486 public middle schools	89.5%		92.5	23^rd of 480 public middle schools	95.2%	28		54.0	63.1	69.5	62.1		48.4	57.4	52.5	52.8	44.4	44.4			$12,033	$71	$11,962
Liberty Intermediate School	Public	5-6	50 W 900 N	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(219) 983-3690	452	27	16.6	27.0%	331 (73.2%)	6 (1.3%)	96 (21.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)								(n/a)	73.0	66.4			69.3	64.7	59.8			62.0	62.9	62.9	79.7		$13,208	$434	$12,774
Boone Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	325 W 550 S	Boone Grove	46302	Porter County	Porter Township School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 464-4828	292	21	14.2	28.8%	231 (79.1%)	2 (0.7%)	47 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	80	81^st of 486 public middle schools	83.3%		81.3	77^th of 480 public middle schools	84.0%	4		46.4	63.5	67.0	58.3		46.4	43.8	37.2	42.7	53.6	53.6			$11,545	$498	$11,047
Westchester Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1050 S 5th St	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 983-3710	404	31	13.0	30.4%	305 (75.5%)	17 (4.2%)	61 (15.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.5%)								(n/a)	60.9	72.5			66.3	75.1	72.5			73.9	62.2	62.2	66.7		$13,308	$491	$12,817
Westchester Middle School	Public	7-8	1050 S. 5th St.	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(708) 450-2735	448	26	17.0	33.5%	336 (75.0%)	14 (3.1%)	62 (13.8%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	26 (5.8%)	96	10^th of 486 public middle schools	97.9%					(n/a)			72.8	69.2	71.0			60.4	56.6	58.5				90.9
Liberty Middle School	Public	7-8	651 W Morgan Ave	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(219) 983-3776	423	29	14.5	23.6%	319 (75.4%)	5 (1.2%)	70 (16.5%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.7%)	97	6^th of 486 public middle schools	98.8%		97.2	6^th of 480 public middle schools	98.8%				68.8	74.2	71.4			72.9	55.9	64.5				87.6	$12,366	$132	$12,234
Willowcreek Middle School	Public	6-8	5962 Central Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8090	920	55	16.6	41.7%	474 (51.5%)	145 (15.8%)	245 (26.6%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.5%)	37.6	309^th of 486 public middle schools	36.4%		39.1	309^th of 480 public middle schools	35.6%			21.5	30.1	39.4	30.6		25.0	20.1	34.0	26.5	29.2	29.2		80.0	$11,089	$319	$10,770
William Fegely Middle School	Public	6-8	5384 Stone Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8150	566	45	12.4	48.2%	256 (45.2%)	111 (19.6%)	160 (28.3%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.3%)	34	323^rd of 486 public middle schools	33.5%		33.8	328^th of 480 public middle schools	31.7%	5		30.0	27.0	35.1	31.1		26.5	21.3	17.8	21.5	32.3	32.3		76.9	$12,312	$401	$11,911

Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin Franklin Middle School

What district is Benjamin Franklin Middle School in?

Valparaiso Community Schools

How many students attend Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 823 students attended Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Benjamin Franklin Middle School attend?

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Middle School usually go on to attend Valparaiso High School

What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

Students at Benjamin Franklin Middle School are 78% White, 13% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American.

Is Benjamin Franklin Middle School a good school?

Yes! Benjamin Franklin Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 11^th of 486 Indiana middle schools.

Rate Benjamin Franklin Middle School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.