Franklin School, built in 1900, destroyed by fire in 1938 and rebuilt by the WPA

In 1900, the citizens of Webb City voted in favor of building a new school in the southeast part of town. Franklin School was located at 501 S. Walker St., near the corners of Walker and Tracy streets. The eight-room school building was built at a cost of $30,000.

The building was expanded to 12 rooms in 1906. In 1926, there were three teachers assigned to Franklin School: Mrs. Maude Cannon, Bernita Lewis and Gladys Burton.

On Nov. 8, 1938, the original Franklin building was destroyed by fire. The origin of the blaze, which started in the attic, was not determined. Firemen fought for more than an hour to bring the blaze under control. By the time the fire was put out, only the walls of the building were left standing.

At that time, there were 156 pupils enrolled in the school. Those in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades were sent to Eugene Field School, while the first and second graders were sent to church buildings in the Franklin district. The building was insured for $12,000.

The Franklin School was rebuilt in 1939 by the Works Project Administration (WPA).

Kindergarten classes were established at Franklin and Mark Twain schools in 1963.

Kindergarten students from Eugene Field and Franklin districts attended classes at Franklin School and students living in the Mark Twain and Webster districts attended classes at Mark Twain.

In 1966, Franklin was designated as the district kindergarten center. Geneva F. Craig, Cleda Robinson and Helen Stines were employed as teachers there that first year.

In 1998, a new kindergarten, the Madge T. James Kindergarten Center, was constructed and opened for classes in the fall of that year.

The building is now known as the Franklin Student Center.