Joseph P. King Junior Middle

Joseph P. King Junior Middle is a public middle school in Franklin, Virginia, serving 164 students in grades 6-7. The school is part of the Franklin City Public Schools district, which is ranked 129 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Joseph P. King Junior Middle stands out for several key reasons. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (around 80-83%) compared to nearby schools like King's Fork Middle, Forest Glen Middle, and Georgie D. Tyler Middle, which have more diverse student populations. Academically, the school's performance on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests is significantly lower than state and nearby school averages across various subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates around 20-38% compared to state averages of 52-69%. As a result, Joseph P. King Junior Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of Virginia middle schools in recent years.

The school's challenges are particularly pronounced for specific student subgroups, such as African American students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who rank in the bottom 10-15% of Virginia middle schools in these categories. With an extremely high percentage of students (98-99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the school serves a population facing significant economic disadvantages. Despite these challenges, the school's per-student spending has actually decreased from $10,925 in 2018-2019 to $9,406 in 2020-2021, which may be a contributing factor to the school's declining academic performance over the years.