FRANKLIN MIDDLE

FRANKLIN MIDDLE is a mid-tier junior high in THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minnesota, part of THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT. The school hosts 454 students in grades 6 through 8.

Across the 4 schools in THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT (1,725 students total), FRANKLIN MIDDLE accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, FRANKLIN MIDDLE logs that White students make up the majority at 79%. The remainder consists of 11% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 4% Native American. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 89%.

On the income-and-resources front, FRANKLIN MIDDLE records 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 17.5:1. The state averages about 17.5:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 39% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, FRANKLIN MIDDLE sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.2%; this one delivers 33.9%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Pennington County) records that median household income runs about $77,325, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. FRANKLIN MIDDLE is one of 7 public schools in Pennington County (combined enrollment of about 2,000 students).

The closest other public school is NORTHWEST AREA LEARNING CENTER, roughly 0.9 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around FRANKLIN MIDDLE. On composite proficiency, FRANKLIN MIDDLE comes 4th of 7 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 39.1%.

FRANKLIN MIDDLE operates from a town-based location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at FRANKLIN MIDDLE has declined 5%, going from 480 students in 2018 to 454 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 84% to 79%.

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