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Benjamin Franklin Middle

Q: Is Benjamin Franklin Middle a good school?

Benjamin Franklin Middle ranks 153 rd of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

153^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 63% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Benjamin Franklin Middle is a large public middle school in Rocky Mount, Virginia, serving 1,382 students in grades 6 through 8 as part of Franklin County Public Schools. The school ranks 153rd of 416 Virginia middle schools (63rd percentile, 3 stars) for 2025-2026, a step back from last year's 107th-place finish but consistent with a decade of generally solid, above-average performance. Despite 86.2% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, test scores in math and reading are mostly above state averages — an unusual and encouraging pattern for a high-poverty school.

Math is the school's standout subject. Proficiency rates in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math (77.7%, 73.5%, and 71.9%) far exceed statewide averages, and 100% of 8th graders taking Algebra I passed. That performance towers over nearby Roanoke City middle schools like Addison Aerospace Magnet Middle and Woodrow Wilson Middle, which post math proficiency rates in the single digits and teens despite similar poverty levels. However, wealthier Roanoke County schools remain ahead: Cave Spring Middle posts 91.1% proficiency in 8th grade math, and Hidden Valley Middle posts 78.3%. Benjamin Franklin also keeps a favorable 10.3-to-1 student-teacher ratio — lower than every comparison school — and its low-income students rank in the 72nd percentile statewide.

Concerns remain. Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 34.5% in 2020-2021 to 18.3%, but it still exceeds state (14.8%) and district (15.4%) averages. Civics scores (67.1% in 7th grade, 71.1% in 8th) trail state averages, and students with disabilities rank in the 42nd percentile — a consistent weak spot. The school spends about $10,482 per student, less than Roanoke City schools with far worse outcomes, suggesting strong efficiency. For parents, Benjamin Franklin offers a large, well-staffed school with a proven ability to help economically disadvantaged students succeed in math, though reducing absences and supporting struggling subgroups remain priorities.

1,382

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,482

Per pupil spending ?

86.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

225 Middle School Road
Rocky Mount, VA 24151

(540) 483-5105

District: Franklin County Public Schools

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Middle usually attend:

High:

Franklin County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.8%

Two or more races:

9.4%

Hispanic:

9.3%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Benjamin Franklin Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 66th percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Virginia median (63rd percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg73%

Virginia avg69%

153^rd of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

38^th of 131Franklin County Public Schools among Virginia 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	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	153 of 416	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.8	107 of 419	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	67.2	131 of 417	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	140 of 422	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.3	154 of 415	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.7	104 of 419	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.4	102 of 424	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	57.6	156 of 413	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.2	140 of 415	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.6	138 of 409	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.1	182 of 412	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.9	96 of 416	76.9%	★★★★☆
2013	73.2	66 of 416	84.1%	★★★★☆
2012	57.4	138 of 413	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.1	88 of 413	78.7%	★★★★☆
2010	43.2	257 of 408	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	59.5	127 of 390	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.1	96 of 391	75.4%	★★★★☆
2007	64.1	105 of 387	72.9%	★★★★☆
2006	73.6	42 of 383	89.0%	★★★★☆
2005	49.5	212 of 340	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	52.5	147 of 297	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.2	110 of 297	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.1	150 of 299	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	115 of 298	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	169 of 292	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.2	162 of 281	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.5	150 of 278	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	183 of 409	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.6	104 of 403	74.2%	★★★★☆
2024	64.7	146 of 407	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.1	142 of 411	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	62.0	93 of 283	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.2	42 of 279	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	68.7	76 of 272	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	60.2	94 of 275	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	113 of 401	71.8%	★★★★☆
2025	76.1	67 of 403	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	92 of 402	77.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	126 of 410	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.5	102 of 404	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.6	118 of 407	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	62.8	147 of 409	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	131 of 249	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.1	135 of 244	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.1	150 of 237	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.4	199 of 231	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	221 of 400	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.1	165 of 400	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.0	197 of 396	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.1	195 of 402	51.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)69th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2026)51st percentile-13 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)47th percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2026)42nd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I100%+7 vs state

English Reading75%~ state avg

Mathematics74%+19 vs state

Science70%+5 vs state

Civics and Economics69%-4 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a principal
Saturday, January 28, 2017

Benjamin Franklin Middle School provides an excellent place for students to learn. The students score above the Virginia average on almost all SOL tests. The school provide many opportunities for students to grow both athletically and academically. Close Quote

Schools Near Benjamin Franklin Middle

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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)				SOL Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Biology (2026)	SOL Science (2026)	SOL Earth Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Geography (2026)	SOL World History I (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Biology 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL World History I 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Benjamin Franklin Middle	Public	6-8	225 Middle School Road	Rocky Mount	24151	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 483-5105	1,382	133	10.3	86.2%	1,006 (72.8%)	113 (8.2%)	128 (9.3%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	130 (9.4%)	62.4	153^rd of 416 public middle schools	63.2%		71.8	107^th of 419 public middle schools	74.5%	46	≥ 50%		100.0	77.7	73.5	71.9		69.9		74.4	75.6	74.1			67.1	71.1	$10,482	$1,234	$9,248
Cave Spring Middle	Public	6-8	4880 Brambleton Ave	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7560	746	54	13.8	30.4%	561 (75.2%)	38 (5.1%)	56 (7.5%)	58 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.4%)	87.9	13^th of 416 public middle schools	96.9%		85.5	20^th of 419 public middle schools	95.2%	7	100.0	100.0	100.0	85.6	85.3	91.1		85.8	≥ 50%	89.4	90.9	88.4	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	88.0	$9,313	$387	$8,926
James Madison Middle	Public	6-8	1160 Overland Rd SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 853-2351	598	42	14.1	99.7%	268 (44.8%)	204 (34.1%)	55 (9.2%)	18 (3.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.4%)	23.5	357^th of 416 public middle schools	14.2%		26.9	339^th of 419 public middle schools	19.1%	18	95.7	96.9	93.0	24.5	15.8	8.7		22.5	100.0	66.7	59.0	62.5			77.7	55.6	$12,040	$1,297	$10,743
John P. Fishwick Middle	Public	6-8	1004 Montrose Ave SE	Roanoke	24013	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-6040	456	36	12.5	97.6%	176 (38.6%)	136 (29.8%)	93 (20.4%)	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.2%)	24.9	350^th of 416 public middle schools	15.9%		17.2	382^nd of 419 public middle schools	8.8%	32	94.4	100.0	100.0	33.7	18.8	40.5		52.3	100.0	59.2	53.9	65.1			100.0	63.3	$11,234	$1,672	$9,561
Woodrow Wilson Middle	Public	6-8	1813 Carter Rd SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 853-2358	601	50	11.9	99.3%	245 (40.8%)	214 (35.6%)	77 (12.8%)	35 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.8%)	14.9	379^th of 416 public middle schools	8.9%		19.5	372^nd of 419 public middle schools	11.2%	7	86.0	75.5	94.1	23.7	19.4	20.0		17.5	82.2	58.8	57.1	56.1			88.7	60.5	$11,572	$1,182	$10,389
Hidden Valley Middle	Public	6-8	4902 Hidden Valley School Rd	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7570	581	43	13.6	30.3%	404 (69.5%)	48 (8.3%)	50 (8.6%)	44 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.0%)	82.1	32^nd of 416 public middle schools	92.3%		83	32^nd of 419 public middle schools	92.4%		100.0	100.0	100.0	85.4	88.2	78.3	≥ 50%	71.9	438.0	86.4	87.8	84.1		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	82.2	$10,232	$479	$9,753
William Byrd Middle	Public	6-8	2910 Washington Ave	Vinton	24179	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 890-1035	802	58	13.7	67.1%	615 (76.7%)	63 (7.9%)	57 (7.1%)	20 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.9%)	54.9	205^th of 416 public middle schools	50.7%		63.9	149^th of 419 public middle schools	64.4%	56	100.0	100.0	96.1	67.2	73.8	46.9		61.0		78.6	77.0	70.4		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	66.0	$8,892	$551	$8,340
Addison Aerospace Magnet Middle	Public	6-8	1220 5th Street NW	Roanoke	24016	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2681	540	48	11.2	97.2%	76 (14.1%)	322 (59.6%)	105 (19.4%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.7%)	4.8	407^th of 416 public middle schools	2.2%		4.8	409^th of 419 public middle schools	2.4%	2	68.2	96.3	100.0	12.5	6.4	12.5		29.8	82.6	42.5	31.8	39.5			66.7	44.4	$15,906	$2,270	$13,637

Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin Franklin Middle

What high school do graduates of Benjamin Franklin Middle attend?

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Middle usually go on to attend Franklin County High

What district is Benjamin Franklin Middle in?

Franklin County Public Schools

How many students attend Benjamin Franklin Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,382 students attended Benjamin Franklin Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Franklin Middle?

Students at Benjamin Franklin Middle are 73% White, 9% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 8% African American.

Is Benjamin Franklin Middle a good school?

Benjamin Franklin Middle ranks 153^rd of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

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