The Franklin School

The Franklin School is part of the Northside Initiative, a comprehensive effort to fundamentally transform a 400-acre, once blighted and forgotten neighborhood into a community of choice. The Initiative represents an unprecedented collaboration of public, private, civic, educational, and philanthropic institutions in Spartanburg, led by the Northside Development Group, a Network Member of Purpose Built Communities, a national initiative designed to break inter-generational Poverty through holistic community revitalization. As part of the Northside Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan, the $10 million, 28,000 square foot educational facility will catalyze over $50 million of additional follow-on private sector investments to create a community center, mixed-income housing and additional health care services in the neighborhood.

Located in an Appalachian Regional Commission Distressed Area with 49.5% Poverty and 32.1% Median Family Income ($21,742), The Franklin School believes the enrollment of the learning center should reflect the diversity of the community and has committed to ensure that at least 60% of the children enrolled, ages 6 weeks through 5 years, will be from low-income families who will receive tuition support from SC’s child care voucher program, Early Head Start, Head Start, and SC’s CDEP 4K program. In addition, enrollment priority will be given to Northside residents and children zoned for Cleveland Academy, the local Elementary school, of which 100% of students are eligible for the National School Lunch Program.