Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Self-interest = Community Interest (video)

A brief (less than 2 minutes) video with good reasons to vote Yes on March 27th



Voting Information for the New FHS Ballot Measure

Vote YES for the New FHS
TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 27th

Location:  Franklin High School Field House (218 Oak Street)
Hours: 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Best Hours to vote:  Before 7:00 am and after 3:00 pm
Remember, fill in the entire oval for the YES vote, do not check the oval

ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS WILL BE A VERY TIGHT RACE.  

EVERY VOTE COUNTS.  WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

PLEASE COME OUT AND VOTE YES FOR THE NEW FHS.

For more information, please see our website at www.newfhs.com
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, http://www.newfhs.com or indicated you were a supporter to one of our volunteers.




Our mailing address is:
Citizens for the New Franklin High School
10 Juniper Lane
Franklin, MA 02038


Add us to your address book


Copyright (C) 2012 Citizens for the New Franklin High School All rights reserved.

In the News - vote today, planning board, yard waste



Franklin planners bend rule on endorsement

Monday, March 26, 2012

Voices of Franklin: Sean Donahue - Misinformation Corrected

First, let me start this letter by saying there are Franklin residents who have taken the time to ask questions and learn the facts about the new Franklin High School project and have still decided they are against this project. Whatever their reason may be, they are entitled to that opinion.


Unfortunately, however, there are still many people who are basing their opposition to the project on misinformation, or much worse, know the facts but are purposely spreading false information to try to get other residents to vote no. This has been evidenced in some of the recent letters against the school printed in the Milford Daily News and Franklin Matters.


When Franklin voters cast their ballot on Tuesday, they deserve to have accurate information and should be making an educated decision based on what’s true rather than the recent campaign of misinformation. Those making false claims and exaggerations are doing a disservice to their fellow citizens.


First of all, the claim that a vote “yes” is giving the town a blank check is simply untrue. The ballot question does not contain the price because of state regulations (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/misc/prop2.pdf ), but the cost is still clearly defined by the Town Council’s binding resolution at $104 million with the state contributing $57 million and the town paying $47 million. This resolution can be found right on the Town Clerk’s website  attached to the information on the election (http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/HighSchoolOverride.pdf ).


And yes, that price is binding because of state law, which makes clear that “even though a dollar amount is not included in the referendum question approved by the voters for these projects, the exclusion is not unlimited and does not necessarily cover all cost increases.  An exclusion covers the debt service costs on the borrowing amount  authorized or contemplated for the described purpose or purposes at the time of the referendum vote.  Debt service on any borrowing above that fixed amount is not excluded unless (1) it is a modest amount attributable to inflation, new regulatory requirements or minor project changes, or (2) another exclusion is approved by the voters.” (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/igr/2002/2002-101.pdf )


In other words, outside of a modest increase due to “inflation, new regulatory requirements or minor project changes”, an increase in cost would require another debt exclusion to be brought before the town. Considering the $104 million total price ($47 million cost to the town) includes $4.5 million in contingencies, it is quite likely the high school project could come in under budget as many of the recent model school projects across the state have.


The total price also includes the cost to replace all the fields and tennis courts, furnish the new building, all the new technology, remove the old high school, and everything else needed for this to be a turn-key project. These costs are NOT in addition to the $104 million total price ($47 million cost to the town) as some have implied.


Another recent letter continually referred to the cost to a homeowner as an additional $360 per year. That is only true if your property is valued at $486,500. For the average homeowner ($352,700), the cost is $260 per year until the debt is paid off in 2040. To calculate the effect on your property tax bill beginning July 1, 2016, take your assessed value, divide it by 1,000 and multiply the result by .74. If your property is worth $100,000, the cost is $74 per year. If it’s $200,000, the cost is $148 per year.


One letter said places like “Boston, Worcester, Lawrence, and Lowell” need the state funds from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) more than Franklin. Worcester just completed a new high school using heavy MSBA funding. Boston and Lowell each have five or more current projects using MSBA funds. If Franklin votes not to accept the funds, the funds do not go back to the taxpayers; they go to the next town in line, which could just as easily be Newton, Sharon or Wellesley as it could be Lawrence.


Everyone must weigh the costs of this project, but they should also be mindful that after five years of exploring all possibilities of getting the high school where it needs to be for Franklin’s students, both the state and Franklin School Building Committee agreed the Model School program was the best option for the town after renovation prices, even after MSBA reimbursement estimates, came in at nearly the same cost. Building the model school provides us with a structure designed for the future and avoids the issues and distractions renovating an active school would provide.


A “no” vote does not mean the problems go away. The town would have to either address the problems with no state reimbursement (and spend a much higher sum to renovate than the new model school would cost) or get back in line with the MSBA for funds for renovation or another new school proposal and with no guarantee we would ever see such a great reimbursement rate again. Heading back to the MSBA would take years and in addition to delaying providing our students with a 21st century facility or even just full handicap accessibility, the prices are likely to continue to rise.


If as a town we refuse to provide the money needed to take any of the actions needed to correct the issues with the current high school, we should also remember that when a public school system doesn’t keep up with its peers, those that suffer most are the ones on a tight budget who can’t afford to send their children to private schools or move to another community. We need to weigh that as well when considering the sacrifices everyone has to make due to a temporary – albeit 25 year – tax increase.


As one of Franklin’s most celebrated former residents, Horace Mann, once said, “education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”


I encourage everyone to vote YES, on Tuesday, March 27th, but if you do vote no, please do so with full knowledge of the facts and don’t be misled by the misinformation.


Sean Donahue
Franklin

The Cake Bar will be moving to Downtown Franklin


Hey, that sign looks new?
It is. It took the place of the sign for the former Cafe Dolce.


Franklin, MA: The Cake Bar

The Cake Bar is currently located on Union near the corner of Cottage and will be moving downtown in early May.

Franklin, MA: The Cake Bar

Visit the Cake Bar's website for additional information on the goodies they sell today
http://www.thecakebaronline.com/

VOTE YES Spirit Day

There's only one day left before we can FINALLY VOTE YES for the New FHS!

To spread our energy all over town, the Citizens for a New Franklin High School is staging a VOTE YES Spirit Day! Volunteers will be at the Franklin Village Plaza, Stop & Shop parking lot tomorrow, Monday, March 26th, from 12 to 4 p.m. to help you paint VOTE YES on your car windows in White and Blue!

Take a few minutes Monday to turn your car into a mobile VOTE YES campaign sign, show your support and have some fun! Email photos of your Campaign Car to voteyesforfhs@gmail.com and we'll post them to the campaign's Facebook page www.facebook.com/newfhs.

Remember, VOTE YES on Tuesday, March 27th. We will need every single YES vote. Do NOT assume the debt exclusion will win approval without YOUR VOTE on March 27. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. School is in session and patience will be required due to the expected large turnout, but parking spaces have been reserved for voters. If you are not able to get to the polls Tuesday, you can still vote in person at the Town Clerk's Office until noon, Monday, March 26, by absentee ballot.


If you need any last minute information, the home page, Supporters page, Learn the Facts Questions & Answers, and News & Updates page of our web site -- www.newfhs.com -- have all been updated with the latest information and letters to the editor. Thanks again for all of your support!


Remember: Vote YES for FHS. A Real Need. The Right Time.

“This is probably the cheapest it’s going to be"


Unlike other “vote yes” residents, however, Chaudhury has a unique problem — she’s only 16 years old, and not eligible to vote. 
So the Franklin High sophomore began drumming up support among voting-age, 12th-graders at the school. As early as this past winter, she created a Facebook group, emailed teachers, fashioned her own website in support of the debt exclusion and got herself appointed student liaison to Citizens for a New Franklin High School. 
“Even before our group was formed she was encouraging people,” said Michael Doherty, chairman for Citizens for a New Franklin High School. “It shows that she cares about her community and wants to have a say in an important decision that our town has to make.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x121055476/Franklin-teen-says-Now-is-the-time-for-new-high-school#ixzz1qDHtcWyn

In the news - signs, teachers



Political signs stolen in Franklin

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - 3/27/12


Vision Statement
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

Mission Statement
The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."



1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the March 13, 2012 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mrs. McIntyre
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations
a. Plaque for Linda Anderson – Van Driver, Retired
b. Oak Street Update

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – Second Reading
1. JJ/JJ-E – Co-Curricular and Extracurricular Activities

4. Action Items
a. I recommend approval of the budget transfers as detailed.
b. I recommend adoption of Policy JJ/JJ-E – Co-Curricular and Extracurricular Activities as detailed.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $242.20 from Wells Fargo matching gift program: Douglas Lee donor for FHS.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $8236.75 from the Oak St. PCC for field trips/in-house enrichment as detailed.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1800.00 from the Franklin Music Boosters for in-house enrichment at FHS.
f. I recommend acceptance of a check for $278.62 from Uno Restaurants for Supplies for HMMS.
g. I recommend approval of the RMS field trip to Providence Place Mall on April 13, 2012 as detailed.
h. I recommend approval of the RMS Band’s field trip to RI on April 3, 2012 to play at the New England League of Middle Schools as detailed.

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Review of Minutes

8. Adjourn

Full-time kindergarten is an investment

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by David Riley and Scott O'Connell, Daily News correspondent on 3/24/12

Kindergarten 1
Full-day kindergarten has evolved from a rarity to the norm in Massachusetts public schools over the past decade, reflecting the needs of working parents and also evidence that the extra time in school is crucial to a child's development. In 2000, less than a third of kindergartners attended full-day programs, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This year, 83 percent of Bay State kindergarten students are enrolled in full-day classrooms.

Things you can do from here:

In the News - Whalen, Brennan



Whelan: Final arguments for new Franklin High School


Note: the MDN/Wicked Local page actually says "Brennan" and that is clearly incorrect. Mr Brennan has argued against the new high school as shown below. Steve Whalen is given proper credit at the end of the post so it was an editorial mistake that may get corrected sometime.



Brennan: Buyer beware on Franklin override

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Turn the New FHS into a Reality


Dear Franklin Friend,

Happy Friday! In just four days, Franklin voters will have the power to turn the vision of a new Franklin High School into a reality. On Tuesday, March 27, we have an historic opportunity to vote YES in the town-wide debt exclusion vote to build a $104.5 million high school facility costing taxpayers only $47 million.

Mark your calendars now and set reminders on your phones to go to the polls at Franklin High School to place your YES vote. Every Single YES vote is important. Do NOT assume the debt exclusion will win approval without YOUR VOTE on March 27. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. School is in session and some parking spaces will be reserved for voters, but patience will be required. The best time to vote will be before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m. If you are not able to get to the polls Tuesday, you can vote in person at the Town Clerk's Office until noon, Monday, March 26 by absentee ballot.

Your YES vote is vital to bringing our town a brand new, fully equipped and furnished high school that will open in the fall of 2014. The new FHS will remove the high school off accreditation warning status and deliver a modern and safe academic environment dedicated to preparing students to compete in a technologically advanced, global economy. Students and teachers will have the chance to thrive in a school built for the 21stcentury that will feature enhanced academic, technological and extra-curricular offerings, including:

·The best possible learning environment with 20 percent more core academic space.The new FHS will have 82,770 square feet of classroom space – 13,700 square feet more than the current school. But, thanks to the model school design, the building's total footprint will be 6,000 square feet smaller, resulting in less travel time and more classroom time for students.

·21st century classrooms and science labs with integrated technology.The modern science labs in the new model FHS will be 1,440 square feet each and designed for maximum flexibility and safety. Each science lab space can be adjusted to meet any instructional style and any subject, including Environmental, Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

·Project Team Rooms adjacent to the Science Labs to facilitate learning.This dedicated space for students will allow them to engage in long-term science and research projects. The flexible design is conducive to general classroom instruction, as well as intensive teacher instruction.

·An 830-seat auditorium/theater with state-of-the-art acoustic and lighting capabilities. The theater will feature stadium-style seating, LED stage lights and a dedicated control room. The auditorium will also be a revenue-generator since it will be made available to outside groups. And, it will prolong the life of the auditorium at Horace Mann.

·A 17,700-square-foot gym and 6,000-square-foot indoor walking track. The Physical Education area will have direct access to the football stadium and multipurpose athletic field. Locker rooms will be overhauled and there will be bleacher seating for 1,192 fans. The overall size of the gym and walking track will be equivalent to the useable space in the existing Field House. Restrooms will be adjacent to ball fields for after-hours/weekend use.

·Dedicated, expanded space for our award-winning performing arts program. The allocated space will increase from 3,885 to 6,830 square feet and will feature three additional practice rooms, expanded ensemble and choral space, and new areas for the Drama Program and band and choral storage.

·Equal access for all special education students. The new FHS will include two elevators, handicapped accessible bathrooms, classroom audio amplification systems, counseling and therapy space, substantially separate and inclusion classrooms and resource rooms on each floor, and accessible lab benches.

For more information on the new design and specific program highlights, please see the New FHS Presentation to School Committee from February 28 here: http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/NewFHSPresentation%202-28-12.pdf

Franklin High has served our students, teachers and the community well for 40 years. In fact, the MSBA gave Franklin a higher reimbursement rate because of town's facility maintenance program. But the building is now suffering from four decades of heavy use, outdated systems buried in concrete, and antiquated educational spaces and furnishings.

There is a real need for a new facility and this is the right time to take advantage of a generous state reimbursement, and low borrowing and construction costs. Our model school has been built many times before and the construction budget has been professionally reviewed in detail. The total cost of the project and the cost to taxpayers are both capped.

You have the power to impact the educational opportunities and future success of the children in our community by voting YES on March 27.A YES vote means the project goes out to bid later this summer – and industry professionals expect those bids to reduce the taxpayer cost even further. A YES vote means construction begins this fall so the new FHS can open to students in the fall of 2014.

We are counting on your vote, and we will need every single vote to win! If you have last-minute questions, please visit our website at http://www.newfhs.com/or email us at voteyesforfhs@gmail.com. Please also "Like" and visit our Facebook page often for updates: http://www./facebook/newfhs.

Please forward this email to your friends, neighbors and social networks so that everyone can helpmake the new FHS vision a reality. Please urge your friends to vote YES on March 27. Make no mistake: There is a Real Need and this is the Right Time!

Thank you for your support. We'll see you at the polls on March 27!

Citizens for a New Franklin High School
Vote Yes for FHS on March 27! A Real Need. The Right Time.

Voices of Franklin: David Brennan - Buyer Beware

On March 27 Franklin taxpayers should Vote No to the proposed extravagant, wasteful, and expensive 104.5 million dollar high school.

Proponents say Franklin residents will only have to pay half of that — but the fact is the project hasn’t even been put out to bid yet.

The ballot question does not give any specific dollar amount it is asking voters to agree to. Here is how it reads:

Shall the Town of Franklin be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition two-and-one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to construct a new high school, to be located at 218 Oak Street, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto?

Proponents deny the meaning of the plain English of the ballot and say it doesn’t matter because it is only the binding resolution with specific numbers that is important.

Trouble is that the binding resolution also says in plain English:

…any project costs the Town of Franklin incurs in excess…shall be the sole responsibility of the Town of Franklin.

That is to say, the sole responsibility of the Franklin taxpayer who will pay the bill. The bottom line is that the state has wisely limited its exposure to cost overruns in this transaction while there is no similar protection for the Franklin taxpayer.

Some don’t care what the cost is and by their way of thinking the more it costs the better because (I take them at their word), they think it will raise their property values. It is these same big spending people who will be in charge of overseeing the project.

So “Buyer Beware” on this one. Personally I’m voting No. I won’t be giving a blank check to big spenders.


In the News - Grease, hoops, DARE, letters to editor



Franklin High Drama to present Grease

Exciting Changes coming to Foxboro, Franklin, & North Attleboro


0_5650020_logo_purple_rgb_jpg                             2_5649972_logo_areaoffocus_allboldpurple_rgb_jpg photo 3


FROM
VISION

TO REALITY



EXCITING CHANGES COMING TO FOXBORO, FRANKLIN & NORTH ATTLEBORO! 



Invensys Foxboro Branch   photo 3 2

Thanks to the early success of the Campaign to build the Spier Family Outdoor Aquatic Center, we have broken ground!  

A committed group of Y volunteers led by Jeff Dufficy, Greg Spier, Danielle Fish and Jay Barrows have raised $647,000 toward the project cost of $913,000, leaving a balance of $266,000 to raise in the next six weeks.

Included in this amount is a $250,000 Challenge Grant from Alex and Sonja Spier.  For information on how you can help us meet the Spier Family Challenge, please contact Peter Waisgerber at
peterw@hockymca.org.

Positive changes are also coming to Franklin and North Attleboro this April!


Bernon Family and North Attleboro Branches

Exciting changes are in store at our Bernon Family and North Attleboro Branches!

This April we have new state of the art equipment coming to both branches.  This dynamic cardio and strength training equipment will be a tremendous enhancement to our health and wellness areas.  A complete listing along with photos and videos of the equipment will be shared next week and leading up to installation.

YMCA - FRANKLIN 3D IVInstallation will take place during school vacation week. 
We ask for your patience and understanding as our installation occurs. 


The Bernon Family Branch Health and Wellness Center will be closed for 2 days starting April 16th, 8:00am - April 18th, 5:15am.  

In addition to new equipment, the North Attleboro Branch will also be receiving a brand new wellness floor and HVAC system. The North Attleboro Health and Wellness Center  will be closed starting April 16th, 8:00am - Sunday April 22nd.

Group Exercise classes and Family Events will continue at each branch during this time.  In addition, please feel free to visit our Invensys Foxboro Branch Health and Wellness Center during your branch's construction. 


I know you will be as excited as we are when all of these changes are complete and we are able to improve your Y experience. For
additional information, please call Kimberly Cohen, Sr. Director of Health and Wellness at 508.772.1310.
Thank you for being part of our Y Family!
                              

Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Hockomock Area YMCA


www.hockymca.org

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North Attleboro, 02760
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Friday, March 23, 2012

New MassBudget Video Discusses Education Funding in Massachusetts


MassBudget has re-done their website and introduced a new report. The report is summarized with an 8 minute video. What has this got to do with Franklin?

Our school budget is half the overall Franklin budget. Over the past several years, the per pupil spending across the categories that the State watches has dropped below the state average. With the proposal for the new high school taking front and center stage for conversation in the last couple of weeks, how Franklin will budget for the schools next year has not been discussed. The "No" voters are worried about the maintenance budget when they probably should be more worried about the overall budget.

The new high school (if approved) may come with 6 more class rooms but if the budget continues to get cut, will there be enough teachers to fill those class rooms?

The point of this video and report from MassBudget is to highlight that the state funding formula that doesn't fully cover the increased costs in health and special ed. Franklin's school budget is directly affected by those factors. You can go back to any of the last several years of budgets and the cost drivers are exactly that.

What does this do to the 'average' student? It reduces their educational opportunity. Those under special education plans are covered with services that by law, Franklin must provide. So when the budget gets tight, the average student and the advanced students will suffer.





MASSBudget Facebook
twitter
"Cutting Class" Video  
The new website of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center is more vibrant, easier to navigate, and more multimedia-friendly--in short, a better platform for sharing materials like our new "Cutting Class" video.

In this video, education policy analyst Luc Schuster explains why districts across the state are hiring fewer teachers, providing less professional development, and spending less on materials & technology than the state funding formula considers appropriate for a quality education.

The video also describes the effects of property wealth on school funding. In the highest-wealth districts, funding shortfalls are often made up with additional local revenues. But in many communities, raising local revenue is extremely difficult. On average, the lowest-wealth districts spend 32 percent less on regular education teachers than is specified in the foundation budget formula.


MassBudget provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies--with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people.

This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |  

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

“This is fitting for his retirement”

The Milford Daily News reports on the retirement party of former Chief of Police Stephen Williams which was held Thursday night.
Williams retired in December after nearly 40 years with the Franklin Police Department, and eight of those years as chief. 
The chief grew up in Franklin — he went through the public school system, got his associate’s degree at Dean College, and worked his way through the ranks in the Police Department, earning him the respect of law enforcement personnel in surrounding towns, in addition to his own. 
“I worked with Steve a long time,” Bellingham Police Chief Gerard Daigle said. “He’s a great guy, and I wish him a great retirement.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x221201081/A-hearty-sendoff-for-Franklin-Chief-Williams#ixzz1pvoXZTas

In the News - marathon, scholarships, Juno, high school



Franklin woman runs for Dana-Farber