When I first walked into the foyer of Franklin Junior High School in Des Moines, Iowa there was a fight in progress between two kids. One jumped up and kicked the other into a glass trophy case. Welcome to Junior High! There was much more fighting to come, and drugs, smoking, skipping class, bullying and stealing. Several times kids got beat up so badly they didn’t return, switching to other, safer schools. Once a school bus was commandeered by students while parked in front of the school (after the driver left for help in the school) and driven away for a few blocks, managing to run over a kids foot during the journey. Another time a bus load of kids rioted and almost succeed in rocking the bus over, while still inside.This school was a good experience for some, and really bad for others. I was one of the others. I have written about some of my elementary school experiences and will mention in the future my high school days but with Franklin there is not much good to tell. I attended the last two years before it closed. A church bought the building, fixed it up and used it as a Christian school for years. Currently it is being renovated for a mixed use space.