Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey


Franklin Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 16,380, a decrease of 440 from the 2010 census count of 16,820, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,354 from the 15,466 counted in the 2000 census.
Franklin Township was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 27, 1820, from portions of [Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester County, New Jersey|Greenwich Township] and Woolwich Township. Parts of the township have been taken to form Clayton Township and Newfield. The township was named for Benjamin Franklin.
WWW franklintownshipnj.org

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 56.39 square miles, including 55.83 square miles of land and 0.56 square miles of water. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Blue Bell, Downstown, Forest Grove. Franklinville, Fries Mills, Iona, Janvier, Lake, Malaga, Marsh Lake, Piney Hollow, Plainville, Star Cross, and Porchtown.
The township borders the municipalities of Clayton, Elk Township, Monroe Township, and Newfield in Gloucester County; Buena and Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County; Vineland in Cumberland County; and Pittsgrove Township and Upper Pittsgrove Township in Salem County.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 16,820 people, 5,849 households, and 4,562 families in the township. The population density was. There were 6,104 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 88.44% White, 7.18% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.49% of the population.
Of the 5,849 households, 33.6% had children under the age of 18; 61.5% were married couples living together; 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.0% were non-families. Of all households, 16.9% were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.23.
24.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.5 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that, in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars, median household income was $74,327 with a margin of error of +/− $6,247, and median family income was $80,667. Males had a median income of $51,425 versus $42,297 for females. The per capita income for Franklin Township was $32,141. About 4.7% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 U.S. census there were 15,466 people, 5,225 households, and 4,190 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 5,461 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 90.22% White, 6.66% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.51% of the population.
There were 5,225 households, out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $55,169, and the median income for a family was $60,518. Males had a median income of $41,159 versus $27,538 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,277. About 3.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Franklin Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
, the Franklin Township Committee is comprised of Mayor John "Jake" Bruno, Deputy Mayor Tim Doyle, Mark Fiorella, Jonathan Keen and Mike Marsh.
In January 2020, Timothy Doyle was chosen from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Leah Vasallo until she resigned from office the previous month.
Republican Heather Flaim was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2018 that became vacant following the death of Ed Leopardi in September 2016; a judge ruled in May 2017 that Flaim could take the seat in a ruling in a case in which the local Democratic municipal committee claimed that it had submitted a list of three candidates to succeed Leopardi, which the township claims it never received. Flaim won a full three-year term in the November 2017 general election, while Democrat Charles F. Pluta was elected to serve the balance of Leopardi's term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Franklin Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 4th state legislative district.

Public safety

Franklin Township is served by the Franklin Township Police Department, along with five volunteer fire companies and the County-run Emergency Medical Services. Serving are Forest Grove Volunteer Fire Company, Franklinville Volunteer Fire Company, Janvier Volunteer Fire Company, Malaga Volunteer Fire Company, Star Cross Volunteer Fire Company. Since 2017, Gloucester County EMS provides emergency medical services for the whole township, after the governing body questioned the ability of the Township of Franklin Ambulance Corps to respond to calls with volunteers.

Education

Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,338 students and 116.2 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. Schools in the district are
Mary F. Janvier Elementary School with 555 students in grades K-2,
Main Road School with 392 students in grades 3-4 and
Caroline L. Reutter School with 379 students in grades 5-6. Students from Newfield attend the Franklin Township district's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship in which Newfield accounts for about 100 of the nearly 1,400 students in the district.
For seventh through twelfth grades, students attend the Delsea Regional School District, which serves students from both Elk Township and Franklin Township. Students from Newfield attend the district's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship begun in September 2010 after Newfield ended its prior relationship with the Buena Regional School District. Schools in the district are
Delsea Regional Middle School with 518 students in grades 7-8 and
Delsea Regional High School with 1,074 students in grades 9-12. The seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with seven seats assigned to Franklin Township.
The New Jersey Department of Education considered a vote by the Franklin Township Board of Education in June 2010 requesting that the district withdraw from the Delsea Regional School District, which would require that the Delsea region be dissolved as about 80% of the regional district's students come from Franklin. With the withdrawal of Franklin Township, two options being considered were to either have Franklin and Elk Townships create a new regional district with Newfield students attending on a send-receive basis, or having Franklin Township establish its own Pre-K–12 district which would receive students from both Elk Township and Newfield.
Students from across the county are eligible to apply to attend Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year high school in Deptford Township that provides technical and vocational education. As a public school, students do not pay tuition to attend the school.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates St. Michael the Archangel Regional School in Clayton; Nativity Church in Franklinville is one of the sending parishes. Our Lady of Mercy Academy is a college preparatory, all-girls Catholic high school founded in 1962 by the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Gloucester County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
U.S. Route 40 passes through the southern area while both Route 47 and the Route 55 pass through the western part of the township.
The county roads that pass through Franklin Township include CR 538, CR 555, and CR 557.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service in the township on service between Cape May and Philadelphia on the 313 and between Millville and Philadelphia on the 408 route.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Franklin Township include:

Wineries