Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

Summary:

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School is a public elementary school in Whiting, Indiana, serving 283 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the School City of Hammond district, which is ranked 331 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School faces significant challenges, including a high-needs student population. The school has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (66.43%) compared to nearby schools, and a high rate of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 35.5% to 36.1% in recent years. Academically, the school's test scores are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 20.31% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts, compared to the district average of 17.3% and the state average of 38.6-41.8% for individual grades. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 68.9% to 71.81% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to other nearby schools, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School generally performs worse on test scores and has higher rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch recipients. The nearby East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy, a public charter school, outperforms Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on test scores, with 30.6% of students proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts and 27.76% proficient or better in ILEARN/Math in 2023-2024. Benjamin Franklin Elementary School's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 820 and 935 out of 1,016-1,020 Indiana elementary schools in recent years, consistently placing it in the bottom 20% of schools in the state.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 1000 116th St
       Whiting, IN  46394


(219) 659-1241

District: School City of Hammond

SchoolDigger Rank:
876th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,112 Help


Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Henry W Eggers Middle School
High:    Hammond Central High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.5 Help
Number of students:  283

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
66.4%
African American:
15.2%
White:
13.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  68.9% Help


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 Compare Benjamin Franklin Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Benjamin Franklin Elementary School ranks worse than 86.7% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 8th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the School City of Hammond District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.35. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (66.4%), African American (15.2%), White (13.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 68.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School is 14.5, which is the 3rd best among 12 elementary schools in the School City of Hammond District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Benjamin Franklin Elementary School employs 19.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School is $13,112, which is the 3rd highest among 12 elementary schools in the School City of Hammond District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

School City of Hammond:

SchoolDigger ranks School City of Hammond 332nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Benjamin Franklin Elementary School?

Rank History for Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 19.83 846th 959 11.8%
2006 25.82 807th 961 16.0%
2007 59.46 441st 985 55.2%
2008 63.69 369th 996 63.0%
2009 25.83 817th 1003 18.5%
2010 38.46 726th 1009 28.0%
2011 15.60 932nd 1025 9.1%
2012 18.86 897th 1015 11.6%
2013 24.00 887th 1035 14.3%
2014 23.44 895th 1036 13.6%
2015 19.00 914th 1040 12.1%
2016 32.42 801st 1046 23.4%
2017 25.36 843rd 1033 18.4%
2018 30.73 785th 1027 23.6%
2019 19.07 870th 1031 15.6%
2021 8.25 935th 1016 8.0%
2022 11.50 900th 1020 11.8%
2023 19.96 820th 1016 19.3%
2024 14.35 876th 1010 13.3%
See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Open Quote The teachers are ignorant, and unengaging with the students. They treat the students like crap and when you approach the principal with a issue she takes up for the staff no matter if they're right or wrong. All around a terrible school! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 247 0 0 25 0 n/a n/a 0 272
1989 255 0 0 33 0 n/a n/a 0 288
1990 277 0 1 40 0 n/a n/a 0 318
1991 284 0 0 37 0 n/a n/a 0 321
1992 297 0 2 32 0 n/a n/a 0 331
1993 289 0 1 30 0 n/a n/a 0 320
1994 260 0 1 44 0 n/a n/a 0 305
1995 249 3 0 61 0 n/a n/a 0 313
1996 249 3 0 61 0 n/a n/a 0 313
1997 266 3 3 87 0 n/a n/a 0 359
1998 250 0 3 75 0 n/a n/a 1 329
1999 269 0 2 93 0 n/a n/a 0 364
2000 242 0 1 95 0 n/a n/a 0 338
2001 220 0 0 88 0 n/a n/a 0 308
2002 189 4 1 122 1 n/a n/a 0 317
2003 189 4 1 122 1 n/a n/a 0 317
2004 182 8 0 142 5 n/a n/a 0 337
2005 163 5 0 163 7 n/a n/a 0 338
2006 144 10 0 160 6 n/a n/a 0 320
2007 147 9 0 182 7 n/a n/a 1 346
2008 130 12 0 223 3 n/a n/a 7 375
2009 127 23 0 254 3 n/a n/a 11 418
2010 90 22 0 219 1 n/a n/a 14 346
2011 99 12 0 222 1 0 1 0 335
2012 107 21 0 240 2 0 7 0 377
2013 89 14 0 220 1 0 11 0 335
2014 77 12 0 208 0 0 8 0 305
2015 85 15 1 212 0 0 6 0 319
2016 93 16 1 208 0 0 6 0 324
2017 91 20 1 185 0 0 5 0 302
2018 75 16 1 186 0 0 10 0 288
2019 72 22 2 160 0 0 12 0 268
2020 62 17 2 168 1 0 13 0 263
2021 46 21 0 179 1 0 12 0 259
2022 38 28 0 197 1 0 6 0 270
2023 37 43 0 188 1 0 14 0 283

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 272 14.2 19.1 23.2
1989 288 15.7 18.3 21.5
1990 318 18.3 17.3 23.6
1991 321 18.9 16.9 19.6
1992 331 16.5 20.0 20.5
1993 320 18.7 17.1 27.8
1994 305 19.4 15.7 28.9
1995 313 17.2 18.2 32.3
1996 313 17.2 18.2 32.3
1997 359 17.4 20.6 33.1
1998 329 18.7 17.6 37.2
1999 364 18.4 19.8 42.9
2000 338 19.3 17.5 40.5
2001 308 19.0 16.2 50
2002 317 17.7 17.9 63.4
2003 317 17.7 17.9 63.4
2004 337 18.6 18.1 66.2
2005 338 18.2 18.6 65.4
2006 320 18.0 17.8 68.1
2007 346 n/a n/a 65.2
2008 375 20.3 18.5 71.5
2009 418 19.1 21.9 73.2
2010 346 18.5 18.6 84.6
2011 335 18.3 18.2 78.5
2012 377 21.0 17.9 74.8
2013 335 21.0 15.9 80.9
2014 305 20.0 15.2 81
2015 319 18.0 17.7 71.2
2016 324 18.0 18.0 71.6
2017 302 17.3 17.3 59.9
2018 288 17.5 16.4 64.6
2019 268 15.0 17.8 76.1
2020 263 15.0 17.5 60.8
2021 259 15.0 17.2 71.8
2022 270 20.5 13.1 70.7
2023 283 19.4 14.5 68.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 272 14.2 19.1 23.2
1989 288 15.7 18.3 21.5
1990 318 18.3 17.3 23.6
1991 321 18.9 16.9 19.6
1992 331 16.5 20.0 20.5
1993 320 18.7 17.1 27.8
1994 305 19.4 15.7 28.9
1995 313 17.2 18.2 32.3
1996 313 17.2 18.2 32.3
1997 359 17.4 20.6 33.1
1998 329 18.7 17.6 37.2
1999 364 18.4 19.8 42.9
2000 338 19.3 17.5 40.5
2001 308 19.0 16.2 50
2002 317 17.7 17.9 63.4
2003 317 17.7 17.9 63.4
2004 337 18.6 18.1 66.2
2005 338 18.2 18.6 65.4
2006 320 18.0 17.8 68.1
2007 346 n/a n/a 65.2
2008 375 20.3 18.5 71.5
2009 418 19.1 21.9 73.2
2010 346 18.5 18.6 84.6
2011 335 18.3 18.2 78.5
2012 377 21.0 17.9 74.8
2013 335 21.0 15.9 80.9
2014 305 20.0 15.2 81
2015 319 18.0 17.7 71.2
2016 324 18.0 18.0 71.6
2017 302 17.3 17.3 59.9
2018 288 17.5 16.4 64.6
2019 268 15.0 17.8 76.1
2020 263 15.0 17.5 60.8
2021 259 15.0 17.2 71.8
2022 270 20.5 13.1 70.7
2023 283 19.4 14.5 68.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $641 (6.3%) $9,600 (93.7%) $10,241
2020 $547 (5.3%) $9,705 (94.7%) $10,252
2021 $1,104 (10.2%) $9,727 (89.8%) $10,832
2022 $1,730 (13.2%) $11,382 (86.8%) $13,112

Data source: Indiana Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 870th of 1031 Elementary schoolsRanks 820th of 1016 Elementary schools
 3.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)38.622.2
 16.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (School City of Hammond)28.415.1
 13.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)46.339.7
 6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)43.225
 18.2%
   3rd Grade Math (School City of Hammond)41.420.9
 20.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Indiana)58.753.1
 5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)2626.2
 0.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (School City of Hammond)31.315.9
 15.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)45.840.3
 5.5%
4th Grade Math (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)4221.4
 20.6%
   4th Grade Math (School City of Hammond)37.520.8
 16.7%
   4th Grade Math (Indiana)5448.8
 5.2%
4th Grade Science (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)1819.1
 1%
   4th Grade Science (School City of Hammond)24.710.7
 14%
   4th Grade Science (Indiana)46.337
 9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)25.625.7
 0.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (School City of Hammond)34.517.8
 16.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)47.540.2
 7.3%
5th Grade Math (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)1420
 6%
   5th Grade Math (School City of Hammond)30.116.8
 13.3%
   5th Grade Math (Indiana)47.841.1
 6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Benjamin Franklin Elementary School)23.331.4
 8.1%
   5th Grade Social Studies (School City of Hammond)28.816.6
 12.2%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)4639.1
 6.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students268283
 5.6%
African American2243
 95.5%
American Indian01
Asian20
 100%
Hispanic160188
 17.5%
Pacific Islander00
White7237
 48.6%
Two or More Races1214
 16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients76.1%68.9%
 7.2%


Schools Near Benjamin Franklin Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Indiana elementary schools.

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Henry W Eggers Middle School
High : Hammond Central High School

Students at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School are 66% Hispanic, 15% African American, 13% White, 5% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 283 students attended Benjamin Franklin Elementary School.


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





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