Franklin Elementary School

Franklin Elementary School in Franklin, WV, serves 247 students in grades PK-6 and is the largest elementary school in the Pendleton County Schools district, which itself ranks among the top districts in the state.

Franklin Elementary is a mid-performing school within a high-performing district, but it faces some notable challenges. The most striking issue is a significant gender achievement gap: female students rank in the 69th percentile statewide, while male students rank in just the 27th percentile—a 42-point disparity that has widened over time. The school also lags behind its district peers. While Brandywine Elementary School ranks in the 97th percentile (5 stars) and North Fork Elementary School ranks in the 75th percentile (4 stars), Franklin sits at the 48th percentile (2 stars). The gap is especially stark in math, where Franklin's proficiency rate is 42.6% compared to Brandywine's 78.2%. Another concern is 3rd grade English Language Arts, where only 23.3% of students are proficient—roughly half the state average—suggesting possible early literacy challenges that need attention.

There are bright spots worth noting. Franklin's 5th grade science scores exceed both district and state averages, and the school does a relatively good job supporting students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who perform better than the school's overall ranking. The school also spends less per student ($14,615) than its peers, raising questions about whether additional investment could help close the gap. Given the district's overall strength, there are likely successful practices at Brandywine and North Fork that Franklin could adopt. The school's rankings have been volatile over the years, swinging from the 70th percentile to the 48th percentile recently, which suggests improvement is possible but has been hard to sustain.