Franklin's History

At that time there was a two-room wooden structure not being used in the Hawthorne area.  It was moved to the location where Franklin School now stands.  It was named Daly School and was used until 1916 when the new Franklin School, presently standing, was built.

The old two-room building was sold to the Franklin custodian for $2,500 and moved 1600 S. 5th Street W., where it still serves as a private residence.  There were two teachers at that time and 33 students. In 1914 a teacher's salary was $70 a month and the Superintendent made $241.

In 1916, a very fancy six room state of the art two-story school was built.   The people of Missoula approved by vote a $24,000 bond issue to build the school. This original part of the building consists of the office area, the library, the Family Resource Center, two of the primary classrooms. The space used for Learning Lab upstairs was originally the gym and drama stage. 

A number of additions were made to the original building between 1930 and 1949.  These additions added on three classrooms and a gymnasium.  The second addition, completed in 1952, included six new classrooms. Franklin School originally housed grades first through eighth.  In 1958, Franklin housed a very tightly-squeezed 517 students, which was the largest enrollment in the District.

Today, Franklin houses about 245 students in grades K-5. The atmosphere at Franklin is warm and inviting.  The courtyard, enclosed by a gate adorned with a bulldog, adds to the building's charm. 

In fall 2007, a new two-classroom addition was constructed on the top of an existing first floor (which currently houses kindergarten classes) at Franklin. 

In the fall of 2017, we opened our new facility.