Ben Franklin Middle School

Summary:

Ben Franklin Middle School is a public middle school located in Buffalo, New York, serving grades 5-7 with a total enrollment of 626 students. The school is part of the Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District, which is ranked 617 out of 865 school districts in New York and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ben Franklin Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of New York middle schools, with a ranking between 693 and 1152 out of around 1500 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on state assessments is generally below the district and state averages, with proficiency rates in ELA, math, and science all lagging behind. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American and low-income students performing much lower than their peers.

Compared to nearby middle schools, such as Herbert Hoover Middle School, Ben Franklin Middle School generally performs worse on academic measures. This suggests that the school may need to implement targeted interventions, re-evaluate instructional strategies, and explore best practices from higher-performing schools in the region to address its declining academic performance and significant achievement gaps among student subgroups.


Detail:

Public 5-7

 540 Parkhurst Blvd
       Buffalo, NY  14223-2198


(716) 874-8404

District: Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
798th of 1,504 New York Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,003 Help


Students who attend Ben Franklin Middle School usually attend:

High:    Kenmore East Senior High School

Feeder schools for Ben Franklin Middle School:

Elementary:    Ben Franklin Elementary School
    Thomas A Edison Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  8.9 Help
Number of students:  616

Racial breakdown:

White:
71.1%
African American:
8.9%
Hispanic:
8.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  49.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Ben Franklin Middle School ranks worse than 53.1% of middle schools in New York. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.53. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71.1%), African American (8.9%), Hispanic (8.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 49.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ben Franklin Middle School is 8.9. (See more...)
Help
Compare Ben Franklin Middle School employs 68.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ben Franklin Middle School is $20,003.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ben Franklin Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ben Franklin Middle School 798th of 1504 New York public middle schools. (See Ben Franklin Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District 617th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Ben Franklin Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 66.11 412th 1095 62.4%
2007 68.27 405th 1123 63.9%
2008 68.11 460th 1185 61.2%
2009 69.24 458th 1224 62.6%
2010 66.28 483rd 1243 61.1%
2011 66.30 479th 1295 63.0%
2012 67.50 462nd 1337 65.4%
2013 60.20 486th 1373 64.6%
2014 47.94 693rd 1401 50.5%
2015 37.26 885th 1407 37.1%
2016 37.14 904th 1429 36.7%
2017 47.10 745th 1455 48.8%
2018 39.27 872nd 1438 39.4%
2019 45.72 718th 1439 50.1%
2021 28.67 935th 1242 24.7%
2022 40.93 874th 1479 40.9%
2023 27.89 1152nd 1500 23.2%
2024 45.53 798th 1504 46.9%
See the entire list of New York Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 45.32 100th 190 47.4%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.90 1000th 1170 14.5%
2019 30.02 879th 1139 22.8%
2022 34.34 881st 1283 31.3%
2023 33.50 893rd 1307 31.7%
2024 33.08 879th 1303 32.5%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.25 906th 1245 27.2%
2019 36.33 770th 1241 38.0%
2021 23.17 806th 935 13.8%
2022 33.06 903rd 1306 30.9%
2023 24.96 1069th 1288 17.0%
2024 29.74 961st 1296 25.8%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.47 633rd 1353 53.2%
2019 48.09 673rd 1370 50.9%
2021 28.85 821st 1066 23.0%
2022 50.65 687th 1454 52.8%
2023 31.84 1059th 1463 27.6%
2024 45.83 791st 1465 46.0%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.58 1037th 1352 23.3%
2019 43.78 711th 1366 48.0%
2021 25.87 846th 1071 21.0%
2022 36.31 930th 1455 36.1%
2023 26.63 1142nd 1464 22.0%
2024 45.26 771st 1464 47.3%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 6.13 225th 236 4.7%
2022 26.43 311th 381 18.4%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.69 533rd 663 19.6%
2019 20.98 570th 653 12.7%
2022 17.61 636th 706 9.9%
2023 18.63 616th 696 11.5%
2024 30.65 522nd 705 26.0%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 21.43 707th 826 14.4%
2021 23.97 372nd 449 17.1%
2022 55.59 337th 914 63.1%
2023 21.17 823rd 943 12.7%
2024 48.32 463rd 953 51.4%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Ben Franklin Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.06 624th 763 18.2%
2019 38.85 441st 716 38.4%
2021 20.48 529th 614 13.8%
2022 28.98 564th 748 24.6%
2023 21.30 661st 772 14.4%
2024 39.23 495th 778 36.4%
See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Ben Franklin Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: NY State Education Department

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Enrollment information for Ben Franklin Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 517 8 5 1 1 n/a n/a 0 532
1990 519 6 4 4 1 n/a n/a 0 534
1991 532 5 3 2 1 n/a n/a 0 543
1992 578 3 5 2 0 n/a n/a 0 588
1993 553 4 3 6 1 n/a n/a 0 567
1994 570 8 3 7 1 n/a n/a 0 589
1995 613 6 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 632
1996 613 6 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 632
1997 649 6 9 7 0 n/a n/a 0 671
1998 675 8 6 4 0 n/a n/a 0 693
1999 677 11 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 697
2000 656 12 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 680
2001 614 13 2 11 1 n/a n/a 0 641
2002 564 17 5 8 3 n/a n/a 0 597
2003 564 17 5 8 3 n/a n/a 0 597
2004 556 24 5 8 4 n/a n/a 0 597
2005 547 24 1 8 1 n/a n/a 0 581
2006 516 28 3 7 1 n/a n/a 0 555
2007 523 28 5 12 3 n/a n/a 0 571
2008 483 40 6 13 7 n/a n/a 0 549
2009 489 29 6 16 6 n/a n/a 0 546
2010 443 40 15 15 4 n/a n/a 0 517
2011 428 41 14 18 1 0 0 0 502
2012 401 36 10 23 2 0 10 0 482
2013 427 32 5 21 4 0 7 0 496
2014 400 35 6 25 3 0 13 0 482
2015 373 38 5 23 4 0 15 0 458
2016 405 42 4 28 5 0 20 0 504
2017 522 49 8 33 3 0 19 0 634
2018 511 54 13 42 3 0 32 0 655
2019 488 54 11 57 3 0 41 0 654
2020 478 55 15 67 3 0 40 0 658
2021 458 50 22 68 3 0 47 0 648
2022 454 49 17 67 3 0 41 0 631
2023 436 53 21 70 4 0 42 0 626
2024 438 55 25 55 4 0 39 0 616

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 Ben Franklin Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 532 43.9 12.1 n/a
1990 534 44.8 11.9 n/a
1991 543 45.9 11.8 n/a
1992 588 44.9 13.0 n/a
1993 567 41.0 13.8 n/a
1994 589 43.0 13.7 7.5
1995 632 47.0 13.4 10.9
1996 632 47.0 13.4 10.9
1997 671 50.0 13.4 10.4
1998 693 54.0 12.8 13
1999 697 52.0 13.4 13.3
2000 680 57.0 11.9 24.7
2001 641 60.9 10.5 22.8
2002 597 59.0 10.1 21.1
2003 597 59.0 10.1 21.1
2004 597 n/a n/a n/a
2005 581 54.2 10.7 32.4
2006 555 54.0 10.3 27.6
2007 571 48.0 11.9 31.5
2008 549 51.4 10.7 35.3
2009 546 51.6 10.6 35.7
2010 517 51.4 10.0 38.7
2011 502 53.9 9.3 41.8
2012 482 44.0 10.9 45.4
2013 496 39.4 12.5 45.8
2014 482 39.0 12.3 42.3
2015 458 37.0 12.3 47.2
2016 504 45.0 11.2 47.8
2017 634 57.2 11.0 49.1
2018 655 64.0 10.2 48.5
2019 654 65.2 10.0 55.8
2020 658 72.6 9.0 58.5
2021 648 67.4 9.6 57.7
2022 631 75.2 8.3 62
2023 626 68.8 9.0 46.6
2024 616 68.9 8.9 49.4

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 Ben Franklin Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 532 43.9 12.1 n/a
1990 534 44.8 11.9 n/a
1991 543 45.9 11.8 n/a
1992 588 44.9 13.0 n/a
1993 567 41.0 13.8 n/a
1994 589 43.0 13.7 7.5
1995 632 47.0 13.4 10.9
1996 632 47.0 13.4 10.9
1997 671 50.0 13.4 10.4
1998 693 54.0 12.8 13
1999 697 52.0 13.4 13.3
2000 680 57.0 11.9 24.7
2001 641 60.9 10.5 22.8
2002 597 59.0 10.1 21.1
2003 597 59.0 10.1 21.1
2004 597 n/a n/a n/a
2005 581 54.2 10.7 32.4
2006 555 54.0 10.3 27.6
2007 571 48.0 11.9 31.5
2008 549 51.4 10.7 35.3
2009 546 51.6 10.6 35.7
2010 517 51.4 10.0 38.7
2011 502 53.9 9.3 41.8
2012 482 44.0 10.9 45.4
2013 496 39.4 12.5 45.8
2014 482 39.0 12.3 42.3
2015 458 37.0 12.3 47.2
2016 504 45.0 11.2 47.8
2017 634 57.2 11.0 49.1
2018 655 64.0 10.2 48.5
2019 654 65.2 10.0 55.8
2020 658 72.6 9.0 58.5
2021 648 67.4 9.6 57.7
2022 631 75.2 8.3 62
2023 626 68.8 9.0 46.6
2024 616 68.9 8.9 49.4

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.

Immunization Rates

Ben Franklin Middle School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricella
2013100.0%0.0%0.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
201499.8%0.2%0.0%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.8%
201599.6%0.4%0.0%99.6%99.6%99.6%99.6%99.6%99.6%99.6%
201695.7%0.2%0.2%97.8%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%98.8%
201798.3%0.0%0.2%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.8%100.0%100.0%99.4%
201898.9%0.0%0.2%100.0%99.8%99.8%99.8%100.0%100.0%99.8%
201998.6%0.0%0.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
202098.6%0.0%99.2%99.7%99.5%99.5%99.4%99.8%99.4%

Data source: New York State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ben Franklin Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $329 (2.0%) $15,844 (98.0%) $16,173
2020 $183 (1.3%) $13,780 (98.7%) $13,963
2021 $793 (4.4%) $17,100 (95.6%) $17,893
2022 $1,531 (7.9%) $17,863 (92.1%) $19,395
2023 $1,356 (6.8%) $18,647 (93.2%) $20,003

Data source: New York Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ben Franklin Middle 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 718th of 1439 Middle schoolsRanks 1152nd of 1500 Middle schools
 26.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ben Franklin Middle School)3123.6
 7.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District)3027.3
 2.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (New York)3845.1
 7.1%
5th Grade Math (Ben Franklin Middle School)4238.9
 3.1%
   5th Grade Math (Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District)4535.1
 9.9%
   5th Grade Math (New York)4649.7
 3.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ben Franklin Middle School)2914
 15.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District)3424.1
 9.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (New York)4745.8
 1.2%
6th Grade Math (Ben Franklin Middle School)4133.9
 7.1%
   6th Grade Math (Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District)4036.8
 3.2%
   6th Grade Math (New York)4748.1
 1.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Ben Franklin Middle School)4031.1
 8.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District)3537.2
 2.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (New York)4048
 8%
7th Grade Math (Ben Franklin Middle School)5056.1
 6.1%
   7th Grade Math (Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District)4560.4
 15.4%
   7th Grade Math (New York)4451.9
 7.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students654626
 4.3%
African American5453
 1.9%
American Indian34
 33.3%
Asian1121
 90.9%
Hispanic5770
 22.8%
Pacific Islander00
White488436
 10.7%
Two or More Races4142
 2.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.8%46.6%
 9.2%


Schools Near Ben Franklin Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Franklin Middle School

Ben Franklin Middle School ranks 798th of 1504 New York middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Ben Franklin Middle School usually go on to attend Kenmore East Senior High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 616 students attended Ben Franklin Middle School.

Students at Ben Franklin Middle School are 71% White, 9% African American, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the WNYC and the New York State Department of Health and the NY State Education Department.

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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