Enrollment
454
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Thief River Falls, MN
Franklin Middle
Federal NCES profile for Franklin Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 273885001674
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Franklin Middle earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Thief River Falls · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 27.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Franklin Middle has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Franklin Middle ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Thief River Falls, MN.
School address
District: Thief River Falls School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273885001674 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Franklin Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Franklin Middle
Franklin Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, enrolling 454 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 454 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 487 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #446, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 385 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Thief River Falls School District also operates Challenger Elementary (727 students) and Lincoln Senior High (521 students) alongside Franklin Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Franklin Middle compares
Franklin Middle on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.8% | ▼ 35% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 454 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
454
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
39.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,756
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 385 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 78.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
Two or More 6.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.7%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.6, Franklin Middle is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Thief River Falls School District, which includes Franklin Middle.
$12,756
Per student
-16%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.9%
State 63.2%
Federal 12.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Franklin Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenger Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwest Area Learning Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Franklin Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 23
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~454 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Franklin Middle's federal record.
- Compare Franklin Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Thief River Falls School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Franklin Middle
How many students attend Franklin Middle?
Franklin Middle has 454 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Thief River Falls, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Franklin Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Franklin Middle is 16.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Franklin Middle?
27.8% of students at Franklin Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Franklin Middle?
The largest demographic group at Franklin Middle is White at 78.6% of enrollment, in Thief River Falls, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Franklin Middle?
Franklin Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Franklin Middle rank among public schools in Thief River Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Franklin Middle ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Thief River Falls, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Thief River Falls on the city page.
Is Franklin Middle a good school?
Franklin Middle earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Thief River Falls School District?
Besides Franklin Middle, Thief River Falls School District also operates Challenger Elementary (727 students), Lincoln Senior High (521 students), and Northwest Area Learning Center (23 students). See the Thief River Falls School District district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.