Franklin High School

218 Oak Street

Franklin, MA 02038

School District

Franklin
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 12, 2024

My son went to school here, and while he wasn't the most diligent of students, he received an exceptional amount of support for four years. The teachers were genuinely concerned for student welfare and academic achievement and reached out (usually by email) to update parents on classroom activities. The high school offered many opportunities for student engagement with after-school clubs, sports programs, and summer camps. My son required a special ed plan and received one. It was reviewed periodically and measured for goal setting. When the pandemic hit, it was very, very hard for everyone. The teachers tried to be flexible and creative to maintain interest in remote learning and when the students returned to classrooms, hygiene was of extreme importance--hand washing, wiping down desks, masking, etc. All in all, my son had a very good experience at this school.
Submitted by other on August 29, 2023

I went to FHS for my freshman year. While i was there i was viciously hate crimed mentally and nearly physically. I brought this to the officials who TOLD US THAT WE COULD TRUST THEM and they made me look like the person to blame. Because I a member of the LGBTQ have mental issues and cannot make connections, tell that to the other students who heard the slur being thrown at me. Thanks for the life lessons, i certainly didn’t learn anything else at this school! I went from a B student at this school to an A student at another (after i had to transfer due to the lack of support)! I hope to God that no other member of the LGBTQ has to go through what i did at FHS, it’s a scary thought for me. Students should feel trust in their teachers, not fear. Not fear that the teacher will stab you in the back and tell you are a bully for taking someone else’s words. I can’t describe how much of an awful time i had here, i just hope if anyone reads this they listen to me.
Submitted by parent on July 04, 2023

Franklin Schools are thanked often by the town for "doing so much with so little". It's a shame because generations of families have raved about the opportunities afforded to their kids because of the public education they received in Franklin, but many of us frear those times are becoming a thing of the past. We are a large enough town to have some stand out kids, and educators that keep our reputation afloat, but high MCAS scores (as some have touted) can't be the threshold as to whether our public schools are thriving or not. For years, the school's administrations and the School Committee elected officials have pleaded for more local funding from our tax dollars, and for years it's fallen short. For at least 15 years it's seemed that our family fees go up, and our available programs get cut. It's been everything from arts, to clubs to librarians. Classes get larger, young ambitious teachers are the first to get cut due to lack of tenure and strong unions, and we hear the school's administrators pleading for the help of parents because of children's behavior problems. The high achieving kids really have to fight for what they need to compete, and I continue to be concerned things won't get better. Initiatives are always the first to get cut when they are always trying to just keep their head above water.
Submitted by other on February 28, 2023

I had to leave the school due to bullying that the school would do nothing about. A lot of the teachers are awful. The students are out of control. Lots of work to be had on this school, because it's a VERY nice building, but the atmosphere is irresponsible.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2020

My children graduated Franklin High in 2014 and 2018 and went on to very good colleges. They were well prepared and have done very well in college as well. The new high school has great facilities and the majority of the teachers are caring and very good.
Submitted by other on December 17, 2019

Franklin High School does not hold students accountable for grades or tardiness. The students are allowed to make deals to pass classes and evade detention for absence and tardiness. Overall the students run the administration and know it. Focus is on passing tests and pushing kids through senior year. It is a diploma mill and does kids an injustice by setting them up for failure in post high school endeavors.
Submitted by student on January 09, 2019

Overall not good experience and it's really just a quite brutal 4 years of my life down the drain. My reviews speak for themselves.
Submitted by student on September 23, 2018

I would give Franklin High School a solid 8 out of 10. I had a pleasant experience at Franklin and have made many memories and friends from being there. I loved it. I took two points off for the school's lack of helping students when they seek out help concerning really anything. I've had a few different issues with my assigned counselor; he was not helpful and anytime I asked him to do something for me, he'd either push it to last minute or not do it at all. I'm currently having an issue regarding my high school transcript that he was supposed to submit to my college but DIDN'T. Very upset about that and am now dealing with the repercussions. Another time, an administrator who told me and a friend (when we were complaining about a specific teacher) said she would have the situation handled and would let us know how it went when she was done, and ultimately she did not follow through with it. Other than that, FHS is a great school with great teachers, people, and principal. Again, I loved it.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2018

HORRIFIC. Unpleasant. Infuriating. Maddening. Sad. I have neither the time nor the money to sue this district, but should I suddenly find myself wealthy, I would relish the opportunity to pursue legal action.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2018

POOR. My greatest wish is that we had moved into another district.
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2018

Very good school. New facilities, a mix of experienced and newer faculty that all have the patience to encourage the students to make choices and prep for college, and good leadership. A lot of choice in terms of classes and overall a good experience that will prepare students well for college or for whatever other path they choose.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2017

Students at this school will graduate knowing how to take standardized tests. The SAT is required although many colleges no longer rely on it. The physical plant looks more like a jail than a school. Very little student work is displayed. This is a new building, but teachers who teach lab sciences do not have assigned rooms and must move their equipment from room to room alongside students changing classes. Most classes are far too large. Administrators have abdicated their responsibility to provide a stimulating learning environment with globally high teaching standards. Good teachers are a matter of luck in scheduling. Good test scores seem to be the only thing that matters to administrators. Preparing students for critical thinking is not .
Submitted by student on April 24, 2015

FHS had a huge issue with adminstration, teachers were bullied! Teachers cannot drink anything but water in classrooms and eat no food in classes, only in cubicle spaces. Admin. was always up teachers butts...observing them, meeting with them, lots of paperwork and pushing technology no matter the course. There was a cultural issue that was addressed at staff meetings but never solved. Teachers are amazing, stay late and care about the students BUT at the new building they have to run around like chickens with no heads! Cannot believe they don't get their own classroom!!! On transition they have to make their way through the halls with all the kids and the materials for the next class. There was/is a huge turnover issue in the special ed. dept. Yes the principal tries, but the assistants rule with fear, teachers seem afraid of getting fired and there is just nothing good about teachers without their own rooms. Yes scores are good, and its a level one school in the burbs but behind the scene I see something totally different for the teachers.
Submitted by other on January 18, 2015

Since 2009, FHS has gone from 78 percentile 91 percentile in test scores in MA. This is across Math,Reading and Comprehension. The school has consistently improved in every subject area, despite an increase in student enrollment. The student/teacher ratio has improved for good in this same period. On the areas to improve....when it comes to SAT, AP scores etc., while FHS has certainly improved, it has a lot more potential that can be realized. The average FHS SAT score of 1630 is less than what the 50 percentile of America's top colleges need (which is 1850). FHS is doing well on sports, they can do better in terms of community and volunteering.
Submitted by student on December 04, 2013

I've read all the reviews and I feel that they could not be more untruthful. I am a junior at this school, and while the building itself is awful (that's why we are getting a new school), I find everything from the teachers, to the principle, and even the support the school brings far beyond the reviews it gets. Especially Franklin High's heavy support for the arts. The school is home to the Franklin Arts Academy, which has emphasis on self-expression and tight bonds with your peers. Many who go in receive better grades (note that the classes are in no way easier, and are actually harder than ordinary classes) and many go on to 4-year colleges. Overall the teachers at the school are fantastic. There are a few teachers that would not be held up to the same standards as others, but they get the job done well. In conclusion the university professor who said that the students can do "nothing but perform on an exam", and the parent who said that "they won't fit in unless they excel at sports or academics," are not just wrong, their accusations are downright absurd. As an ARTISTIC and an A-B student, I can say that almost everyone fits in, and we find creative solutions through projects.
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2013

Staff and teachers at FHS believe that they are the best in the state but they could not be more WRONG. Bullying is horrible and the teachers and staff do nothing to deal with the situation. There is no compassion for students, nor is there any real concern for student learning beyond what they can produce on a standardized test. As a University professor, I can tell you Franklin puts out what University educators fear the worst-students who can do nothing but perform on an exam. Emotionally, students are battered by teachers lack of concern or empathy, which leads me to believe that the work environment at FHS must be horrific. Finally, I can not end this review without mentioning that Franklin has quite the drug problem. As a parent, do as I did and RUN.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2013

Students are told to go to their guidance cousler to solve every problem but in my experience the guidance counsler was amazingly incompetent and knew nothing about anything having to do with the school. The entire Franklin school system is run by the wrong people and the administrators at the schools are terrible. Administrators take personal dislike to students and treat them with no respect and honestly rudely.
Submitted by other on April 07, 2013

I personally attended Franklin High and it sickens me to know how students will never get the help they need from teachers, they won't fit in unless they excel at sports or academics and are subject to bullying. I know because I saw all of this with my own eyes and lived it. There is zero respect towards students. The insensitivity towards what students might be enduring in their lives certainly doesn't help. More often than not, the teachers are still teaching because they have seniority instead of their candidacy of being able to successfully do their job. Maybe try hiring someone who can get kids grades up with effective teaching so information is actually retained. Keeping in mind that Franklin has a pretty big course load of classes, teachers could communicate to better plan assignments; If a student was assigned two essays and they were both due on the same day, they won't be able to have enough time to write the essays to the best of their ability. Also, it has been made known that Franklin is a hotspot for drugs in the past as well as currently.