From the Town Administrator's FY 2027 Budget narrative, each department's story is worth sharing.
General Purpose
Franklin Public Schools (FPS) is a PreK–12 public school district serving 4,327 students across seven school buildings in the Town of Franklin. The district is committed to providing every student with a rigorous, inclusive, and high-quality education that prepares them for college, career, and engaged citizenship.
The FY27 operating budget reflects the outcomes of a multi-year effort to strengthen educational quality, improve long-term fiscal sustainability, and align resources strategically with student and community needs. It is built on three principles that have guided our work: Collaboration, Transparency, and Strategic Planning.
Core Functions
● Delivering rigorous, standards-aligned PreK–12 curriculum across core academic subjects, electives, unified arts, and specialized programs with a student-to-teacher ratio within the recommended range of 18–24.
● Providing comprehensive student support services, including special education, speech-language, occupational therapy, behavioral support, counseling, mental health services, and nursing across all schools.
● Operating eight specialized in-district programs for students with disabilities — keeping students in their community while reducing the cost of out-of-district placements.
● Maintaining safe, accessible, and well-equipped school facilities that create welcoming learning environments for students, staff, and families.
● Managing all financial, human resources, transportation, and operational functions in accordance with state and federal requirements and town and school financial policies.
● Engaging families and the broader Franklin community as partners in student learning through two-way communication, public meetings, and collaborative planning.
Staffing
● District-Level Leadership
○ Every district-level leadership position carries a defined operational, instructional, and/or compliance function. The 12-person district leadership team supports 7 school buildings, approximately 739 FTE employees (operating budget), and 4,327 students across a PreK-Grade 12 and Age 22 continuum.
● School-Level Leadership
○ School-level administration is organized around the four-complex model established through the FY26 district reorganization. Each building has dedicated administrative leadership, with larger secondary schools carrying expanded teams proportional to enrollment and program complexity. Franklin High School currently serves approximately 1,380 students through a full college-preparatory and career-technical curriculum. Franklin Middle School currently serves approximately 1,008 students, and our K-2/3-5 elementary schools currently serve 1863 students.
● Full District Staffing
○ Across all categories, more than 97% of Franklin Public Schools positions are student-facing or in direct support of instruction. District and school-level administration together represent approximately 3% of the total district FTE, as shown in the totals row below.
The PDF of this section -
For the full FY 2027 budget narrative - https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8912/FY27-Budget-Narrative-FINAL-1
The FY 2027 budget information can be found
