Benjamin Franklin Intermediate

Benjamin Franklin Intermediate is a junior high of tight-knit scale in Colma, California, run under Jefferson Elementary, enrolling 497 students in grades 6 through 8. That puts it 25% below the typical public school in California, which averages around 659 students.

Jefferson Elementary comprises 20 schools with combined enrollment of 8,072 students; Benjamin Franklin Intermediate is among them.

On demographics, Benjamin Franklin Intermediate reports that 47% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 38% Asian, 8% White, 3% multiracial. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 25%.

In terms of school funding signals, Benjamin Franklin Intermediate lists 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 18.0:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 20.7:1 average. Roughly 48% of students at Benjamin Franklin Intermediate qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than San Mateo County's rate of about 34%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Benjamin Franklin Intermediate falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 50.7%; this one comes in at 25.0%, -25.8 points off the demographic line.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for San Mateo County indicate median household income runs about $158,855, roughly 54% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 4%. In all, San Mateo County runs 176 public schools (combined enrollment of about 82,403 students), of which Benjamin Franklin Intermediate is one.

The closest other public school is Garden Village Elementary, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Benjamin Franklin Intermediate at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 42.9%.

Benjamin Franklin Intermediate operates from an outer-ring location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 25%: 666 students in 2018 compared to 497 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share climbed from 31% to 47%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 21.5:1 in 2018 to 18.0:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.