Franklin School

Franklin School is an elementary-level community of substantial scale in Missoula, Montana, run under Missoula Elem, instructing 274 students in grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 167 students per school, that is 64% bigger than typical.

Franklin School is one of 14 schools operated by Missoula Elem, a district that enrolls 5,293 students overall.

Demographically, Franklin School records that White students make up the majority at 72%. Beyond that, the school records 12% Hispanic, 5% Native American, 4% Black, 4% multiracial. By comparison, Missoula County as a whole is about 87% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.9:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 80% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Missoula County (around 41%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Missoula County) logs that the typical household earns roughly $75,598 per year, 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Franklin School is one of 47 public schools in Missoula County (combined enrollment of about 14,099 students).

Nearest neighbor: Missoula TEACH Academy, around 0.8 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Franklin School has stayed largely flat, going from 273 students in 2018 to 274 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 80% to 72% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.2:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.