The Franklin School was founded in 1978 by David Eretzian. The Franklin School was opened to meet the needs of students who were at-risk of not graduating and initially served only students in grades 11 and 12. The rationale for the program was to accept that the greatest deterrent to student learning and achievement is not a lack of ability. The factors that have the greatest impact on student success at school are deficits in meeting the social, emotional, and physical needs of students. Responsible educators recognize that the needs of all students cannot be met in a “one size fits most” educational setting.
Today, Franklin is an alternative program for students in grades 7 - 12 and serves up to 100 students. All of the students at Franklin have been identified as at risk of not graduating on time. However, even if they all fit under that umbrella, the reasons for this are very diverse. Franklin emphasizes preparing students for work or higher education and has a robust work-study program and many opportunities for vocational education.