Home of the Patriots
Our school is named after statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin. The name also honors the original Franklin School, located west of downtown Vancouver on Franklin Street, which served the district for nearly a half-century.
Our mission
To provide a nurturing and pleasurable environment that will enable students to achieve their maximum learning potential and to enhance the quality of their lives in becoming responsible, literate citizens.
Our history
Franklin opened at its present location in January 1956, the 250th anniversary of its namesake’s birth. The original mascot was a cougar, but changed to a patriot during the 1972-73 school year to reflect our historic name.
A strong sense of community is evident here; many parents are former students. Since our beginning, we’ve enjoyed strong support from an active parent-teacher association.
A 2000 bond measure helped the district replace the aging building. The present building, opened in 2003, was constructed in the style of a Northwest lodge, with natural materials and a design that captures natural light. It is a lovely, safe, functional environment for learning, working and playing.
In 2008-09, Franklin teacher Hsin-Yi Hu began building a Mandarin Immersion Program, the district’s first in that language. Hu incorporated lessons in Chinese art, culture and language for the entire school. The program formally began in fall 2009Â for kindergarten students.
Today, Franklin Elementary remains a small, close-knit neighborhood school, where the staff and parents work together to develop an outstanding learning environment unique to students’ needs.
Recent History
2021-22—Franklin Elementary received state recognition for closing gaps for one or more student groups.