The Franklin School
system began in 1871 and consisted of a
two-room school located opposite the
present Jewish synagogue with an
enrollment of 50 pupils. In 1914, the
school stepped into "modern" times when
the central part of the building was
constructed on Washington Avenue and was
used as a vocational school. In 1922,
the left wing was added, and in April
1926, $150,000 was appropriated to build
the right wing, which was occupied in
September of 1927.
At the time, the Franklin education
system was heralded in newspapers as the
most modern school district in Sussex
County, and they detailed every item in
the school’s shops. Victrolas and
stereopticon lanterns
are some examples of the "modern"
equipment found in the school.
In 1924, the graduating class of
Franklin Industrial School, as it was
known then, consisted of nine students,
and by 1928, its first regular high
school class of 14 students was
graduated.
In 1960, an auditorium and gymnasium
were added to the complex, but this
resulted in the moving of a grandstand
at the baseball field that was
considered by many as the best in the
county at the time. School
Superintendent, Thomas Komlo, said he
believed that engineers from the NJ Zinc
Company, along with Babe Ruth, who was a
frequent visitor to Franklin, designed
the baseball field to the same
dimensions as Yankee Stadium.
Records kept by the school and shared by
Superintendent Komlo stated that the
largest graduating class that from
Franklin High School was 240 in 1972,
which was before Vernon Township High
School was built. Franklin operated on
split sessions and rented outside
classrooms at a local church in order to
school all the students. In addition to
Franklin residents, the school also
educated high school students from
Jefferson, Hardyston, Hamburg, Vernon,
and Ogdensburg.
At one time, there were only four high
schools in Sussex County: Franklin,
Hamburg, Sussex, and Newton. Hamburg
High School closed when it became too
small to house the extensive programs
that were being developed for secondary
education. Sussex High School closed in
1966 when High Point Regional High
School opened its doors.
The class of 1982 was the last class to
graduate from Franklin High School
because in September 1982, Wallkill
Valley Regional High School opened its
doors, and Franklin High School closed
theirs. Franklin School, K-12 then
became Franklin Elementary School, K-8.
In October 1990, Franklin School
celebrated it 75th birthday with
wonderful festivities. Banners were
made, oil paintings that depicted the
school in 1915 and 1910 were created,
and a new school song was composed.
All were dedicated at the celebration.
The paintings still hang in the hallway
nearest to the main office today.