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Public middle school · Valparaiso Community Schools · Valparaiso, Indiana

Benjamin Franklin Middle School

Benjamin Franklin Middle School rates 8.1, right at the middle of Valparaiso Community Schools's middle schools, whose rated median is 7.8.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.1this school

8.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the Valparaiso Community Schools median is 7.8.

#253 of 1,828 schools in Indiana · Valparaiso Community Schools: 2 middle schools rated, median 7.8

The brief

A Valparaiso Community Schools middle school where students score 6 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 253 of 1,828 schools in Indiana and 6 of 11 in Valparaiso Community Schools.

Benjamin Franklin Middle School is listed in Valparaiso Community Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math63%25 points above the Indiana average of 38%2026 ILEARN
Reading68%26 points above the Indiana average of 42%2026 ILEARN
In 2026, 63% of students were proficient in math and 68% in reading, against Indiana averages of 38% and 42%.2026 ILEARN; 84 test records from IN state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.4
40% of the rating
Academics
8.8
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.2
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 63% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 70% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ILEARN · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ILEARN · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 46385; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Benjamin Franklin Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$97,208
Median home value
$305,400
Median rent
$1,225/mo
College educated
34.3%
Homeownership
87.9%
Poverty rate
7.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 46385; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
77
Very Walkable
Transit Score
22
Minimal Transit
Bike Score
55
Bikeable
City reported crime
949/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Valparaiso. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Valparaiso), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
22.3%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Benjamin Franklin Middle Schoolthis school
    8.1
  2. 7.5Compare →
One grade-compatible school using the same rating model sits within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Benjamin Franklin Middle School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Benjamin Franklin Middle School serve?

Benjamin Franklin Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

Benjamin Franklin Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 806 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Middle School is 14.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Benjamin Franklin Middle School rank in IN?

Benjamin Franklin Middle School ranks #253 of 1,828 schools in IN.

What is Benjamin Franklin Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Benjamin Franklin Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Benjamin Franklin Middle School has 63% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 70% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Benjamin Franklin Middle School a charter school?

No, Benjamin Franklin Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Benjamin Franklin Middle School a Title I school?

No, Benjamin Franklin Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

22.3% of students at Benjamin Franklin Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
806
Student-teacher ratio
14.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
57
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small Suburb
County
Porter County
Rank in district
#6 of 11
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$11,533
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 46385)
41,390
Area average commute
30.5 min
Area median age
43.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Indiana Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.