That would be the 250 year anniversary of the creation of Franklin separating from Wrentham. You likely recall the story that it was originally to be called Exeter but on the way to Boston, they changed the name to Franklin to honor the work of Benjamin Franklin. When the founding fathers asked Ben for a bell to toll in his name, he responded with a bunch of books and hence our library, the first public library in the nation was formed.
We have this legacy to live with and keep up.
2028 is only 9 years away. It will be here before we know it. Hence, there is no time like the present to start thinking about what the town should look like. How it should operate?
School Superintendent Sara Ahern is working on "A Portrait of a Graduate". What should a graduate of FHS be prepared with to enter the working world? What skills and qualifications will they need that we need to develop during their educational years here. Input has been sought for this across many stakeholders and community members. I know because I was able to participate in a workshop earlier this year.
The school start times planning has moved from the Advisory Committee to the Schools Central Office to continue to work out the details of a proposal. This will have a domino affect through out the community if the proposal is approved.
We also have significant budget challenges. The schools cut positions while raising and introducing fees to balance their side of the budget for this year (FY 2020). The town side cut road money (among other items) to bring the budget into balance for this year.
Next year's budget (FY 2021) will be more challenging. There will need to be significant cuts on both sides unless the voters/residents step up to provide additional funding.
- How are we going to repair our roads?
- How are we going to maintain or advance our fire, police, and DPW services?
- How are we going to provide services to our growing community?
- And of course, how are we going to fund the schools to give our children the best they can get to prepare them for the world of 2028 and beyond?
We need good people to help lead us forward. Who are they? Who will we select to lead us through the budget maze? Will they foster honest, and civil discussions on hard topics?
Talk to the candidates.
They are your neighbors. Find out what they want to do. Find out how they are going to get us to 2028.
And then vote on November 5.
Find more information on the Franklin Election Nov 5, 2019 in the "election collection"
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html
This is an updated version of what was originally published in 2017
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/11/what-will-franklin-be-like-in-2028.html
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| What should Franklin look like in 2028? |
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