History
History of Franklin Middle School
From its humble beginnings in 1927 in central Yakima, on a narrow dirt road with no sidewalks, Franklin Middle School has evolved into a beautiful campus, surrounded by Franklin Park.
Benjamin Franklin School was originally built as a junior high school in 1928, on the site of an old apple orchard. The land cost $20,000 and the building was $240,000. The first class of students, 1927-28, numbered 594. Soon after opening, the cafeteria and gym were added, as well as a new wing.
Then, in 1997, the old building closed, and the building of today opened in 1998. During the transition, students from past decades came to reminisce and say goodbye to the old building. Paving bricks were sold to the community, for the newly constructed walkway, near the original entrance arches of the school on 19th Ave. The cost was $12.5 million. Franklin became a middle school in 1986 and remains one today, with an enrollment of almost 900 students.