As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 477 students and 49.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.6:1.[1]
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "CD", the sixth-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[7]
A two-room school opened in 1871 with an enrollment of 50 students as Franklin's first public school. The building was expanded in 1914 to accommodate a vocational school in the central portion of the building, a left wing was added in 1922 and a right wing was constructed in 1926 at a cost of $150,000 (equivalent to $2.6 million in 2023), opening in September 1927. Franklin Industrial School had its first graduating class in 1924 with nine students, which rose to 14 in 1928 when the first full class graduated.[11]
School history records that Babe Ruth, a frequent visitor to the Franklin area, and a group of local engineers oversaw the design of a baseball field whose dimensions matched those of the original Yankee Stadium. A 1960 construction project that added an auditorium and gymnasium to the school necessitated moving the field's original grandstand, considered at the time to be one of the best in the country.[11]
In September 1982, Wallkill Valley Regional High School opened its doors, and Franklin High School closed theirs, making the class of 1982 the final class to graduate from Franklin High School. Franklin School K-12 then became Franklin Elementary School K-8.[11]
Core members of the district's administration are:[13][14]
J.R. Giacchi, superintendent and principal
Barbara Decker, business administrator and board secretary
Board of education
The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[15][16][17]
^Franklin Borough Board of Education Bylaw 0110 - Identification, Franklin Borough School District. Accessed March 7, 2024. "Composition: The Franklin School District shall be comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Franklin for the purpose of providing a program of education in grades Kindergarten through 8."
^Wallkill Valley Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Wallkill Valley Regional High School. Accessed march 7, 2024. "Purpose The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Wallkill Valley Regional High School District. Composition The Wallkill Valley Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Franklin, Hamburg, Hardyston, and Ogdensburg."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Franklin Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2024. "The School District provides education for its preschool through eighth grade students. Geographically, the District is comprised of the Borough of Franklin only. The School District's total area is 4.5 square miles. The 487 elementary students enrolled in the Franklin Borough School District attend the one school comprising the District. Students for 9th through 12th grade attend the Wallkill Valley Regional High School in Hardyston, N.J. An elected nine-member Board of Education (the 'Board') serves as the policy maker for the School District. "
^Board of Education, Franklin Borough School District. Accessed March 7, 2024.
