Franklin Public Schools: FY 2026 Budget Book - “Laying a Foundation for Success” - Executive Summary

Dear Franklin Community,

I am honored to serve the Town of Franklin as Superintendent of Schools. Together with the leadership team, I am responsible for overseeing the daily operations of our district, which serves 4,589 students and employs over 1,200 dedicated professionals, including educators, support staff, and administrators. Our collective mission is to foster academic excellence, social and emotional well-being, and equitable opportunities for all students in safe, healthy, and welcoming environments.

The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Superintendent’s Recommended Budget, totaling $80,395,338, represents a 3.78% increase over FY25 and is structured to balance rising costs with strategic resource allocation. This year’s budget cycle is framed by our guiding principle: “Laying a Foundation for Success.” This tagline underscores the critical connection between a well-structured, sustainable budget and the long-term prosperity of our students and community.

Strategic Priorities and Fiscal Responsibility

Our approach to budget development is mission-driven and informed by Franklin’s Portrait of a Graduate, which defines the essential skills each student will develop throughout their PreK-12+ experience. We remain steadfast in our commitment to:

❖ Optimizing Resources – Allocating staffing and financial resources to maximize student impact.

❖ Supporting Reorganization – Ensuring a smooth transition for students, staff, and families following significant structural changes.

❖ Stability and Sustainability – Building a future-ready system that meets current and evolving needs.

In FY26, we continue to right-size our operations by aligning staffing and expenditures with student needs. This budget reflects savings from our district reorganization, which includes:

❖ The unification of Franklin Middle School, consolidating all grades 6-8 students into one building at Oak Street.

❖ The restructuring of elementary schools into two K-5 complexes at Washington Street and Lincoln Street.

❖ The expansion of the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Pond Street will increase early childhood capacity and generate additional revenue.

❖ These bold decisions allow us to preserve recommended class sizes, maintain a high-quality educational experience, and create efficiencies without increasing full-time staff. The reorganization achieves economies of scale, ensuring we maximize impact while maintaining financial sustainability.

Budget Drivers and Investments in Student Success

Several key financial drivers shape the FY26 budget:

❖ Staffing Adjustments – Reallocating existing staff to maintain class sizes and meet student needs without increasing overall FTEs.

❖ Student Support – Continued investment in behavioral, mental health, and academic interventions.

❖ Compliance & Costs – Rising expenses in transportation, special education, and health insurance.

While staffing costs account for most of the budget, we have strategically reallocated personnel to support student success. We are also maintaining Franklin’s commitment to academic and co-curricular opportunities, ensuring all students have access to:

❖ Rigorous and engaging curriculum

❖ Special education and intervention services

❖ Extracurricular activities, including clubs, arts, and athletics

❖ Essential student support, including counseling and wellness resources

 

Additionally, our focus on financial stewardship includes:

❖ Classroom-Level Analysis – Ensuring optimal teacher FTEs and class sizes.

❖ Historical Spending Review – Reducing or eliminating non-essential expenditures.

❖ Technology and Equipment Review – Prioritizing essential tools and minimizing inefficiencies.

❖ Special Education Forecasting – Accurately projecting out-of-district tuition and transportation needs.

❖ Transportation Evaluation – Optimizing bus routes to mitigate cost increases.

❖ Franklin in Context: Comparisons and Challenges

Despite fiscal constraints in recent years, Franklin Public Schools has made a series of bold decisions to maintain the success of a high-quality public education.

Looking Ahead

As Superintendent, I remain dedicated to working collaboratively with the Franklin School Committee, Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, the Town Council, and municipal leaders to ensure fiscal stability and educational excellence. This budget reflects our shared vision for the future—one that prioritizes student success, supports educators, and strengthens our schools while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

We are grateful for your continued partnership and investment in Franklin’s students and for your unwavering commitment to our schools, families, and community.

Sincerely,

Lucas Giguere                           Janaina Melotti

Superintendent of Schools           Interim School Business Administrator

The full School District "Budget Book" for FY 2026 can be found ->

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/FPSD/5269967/-FY26_Franklin_Budget_Book_.docx_-_Google_Docs_1_.pdf

Additional Budget documents can be found in their FY 2026 Budget page ->

https://www.franklinps.net/documents/about-us/school-district-budget/fy2026-budget/728831

Franklin Public Schools: FY 2026 Budget Book - “Laying a Foundation for Success” - Executive Summary

Town Administrator Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget - Revenue & Expense Assumptions

The first part of the Executive Summary was shared on Monday. This section layouts the revenue and expense assumptions driving the budget as presented.

 

Town Administrator Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget

 

Here are the assumptions incorporated into the FY26 budget:

Revenues Highlights

●    The proposed FY26 budget does not include any revenues from the Budget Stabilization “Rainy Day'' Fund. The fund currently has a balance of $3,310,416. It is vital for the Town to continue to maintain and grow/stabilize the Rainy Day Fund rather than deplete it. Budget Stabilization reserves set the town up to be prepared in the event of an emergency, but equally as important, these reserves illustrate to bond rating agencies and financial institutions sound financial policy and execution. Well founded financial annual audits, an effective OPEB policy, passage of the Community Preservation Act, the implementation of a stormwater utility and increasing emergency reserves put the town in a healthy financial position to maintain a stable AAA bond rating and quell interest rates in an era of record high inflation.

●    The Property Tax Levy and “New Growth” revenue forecast will decrease a cumulative $71,097 from FY25. Traditionally, the Town has used a ten-year average model for the new growth figure. However, the Town’s New Growth has plateaued and is now at the decreasing end of the arc from the front end of the pandemic years.

●    State Aid is assumed at the Governor’s FY26 budget levels. Currently, the Town stands to realize a net increase of $493,534 in local aid from FY25. A final state budget is expected to be complete in July and we will readjust the final local aid numbers at the November budget hearing .

●    The Town’s Local Receipts look to rebound past pre-pandemic numbers, while also recognizing that hotel tax revenue and cannabis excise sales taxes are both now in this revenue category. Staff assume an additional $1,681,052 in local receipts over FY25. The preliminary budget model was level service, but in evaluating the forecast, we believe FY26 will show an uptick due to several additional factors. A majority of local receipts are fees collected for Town services (e.g. licensing, building permits, ambulance receipts, recreation fees). Motor vehicle excise tax is slightly less than half of the revenue.

Expenditures Highlights

The main cost drivers in this budget are:

●    The budget includes a 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all municipal personnel, including collective bargaining agreement commitments, which amounts to $610,000. School salaries are located in the school budget in Appendix B.

●    The Benefits Budget (910) increased by $1,817,961 (almost 12%) from FY25 to FY26. The Benefits Budget has a number of different line items, including health insurance for active Town employees and retirees and School retirees as well as Worker’s Compensation and Unemployment Compensation for both the Town and the Schools.

○    Our original health insurance quote for our active employees and retirees under age 65 came in with an 18.3% increase. We worked closely with the Massachusetts Strategic Health Group and our Insurance Advisory Committee (IAC) this spring and made changes to bring the premium down. One of the changes included increasing the deductible on the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). These changes brought the increase down to 14.5% on the EPO and PPO plans and only 11% on the HDHP. These percentages are very competitive in the current municipal health insurance market, as we saw many Towns experience increases ranging from 10% to as high as 30%. For additional information, please see the narrative for the Benefits Budget.

The Benefits Budget has a number of different health insurance lines which have increased a total of $1,066,000 over FY25.

○    The Norfolk County Retirement Assessment continues to increase each year at greater than a 7% increase. State law requires the pension system to be fully funded by 2040, which may change. However, we expect over 10% annual increases in pension assessments in future years.

●    The Franklin Public School District will see an increase in their budget of $2,925,148 over FY25, Further analysis is in the Future Trends section below. 

 

 * denotes the two pandemic impacted budget years (does not include federal stimulus funds)
** denotes a use of $1.8 million in Budget Stabilization funds in FY19; one-time free cash in FY25
*** assumes a successful override on June 3, 2025.

Future Trends

The constant pressure on local government to fund all of the work that needs to get done is continuing to be unsustainable. The Massachusetts Municipal Association continues to advocate for greater investment in infrastructure from the state and to relieve the many unfunded mandates the state is placing on local governments. Staff also work closely with our state and federal legislative delegation who have always been responsive to the town's financial needs. Regardless, there is only so much supply for the demand, which has strained local services and budgets across Massachusetts.

The federal budget looms large and will likely have an impact on FY27, but more likely a significant impact on FY28 for Franklin. Approximately $15-16 billion of the state's budget is based on the federal budget. If federal uncertainty affects the state budget, it will inevitably put pressure on the Town’s budget. We will need to keep these realities front and center in FY26 and beyond. The current federal budget is funded through September 30, 2025.

Throughout the summer and early fall, the major federal discussion will likely be around the federal budget going into next fiscal year. For local and state governments, FY26 will already be one-quarter of the way through before federal budget deliberations are concluded.

I would expect a five-year fiscal forecast to be available as we head into the fall, after the state budget is finalized, and we have better information on the federal budget. The federal budget year begins October 1, 2025.

Major cost or policy decisions heading into FY27 and beyond, include:

●    Federal austerity and the uncertain financial impacts on the state budget that trickles down to local budgets from federal budget cuts.

●    Continued health care cost increases in a state where 15% annual increases are now the norm.

●    Norfolk County Pension assessments anticipate a 10% increase annually in future years.

●    Affordability of the community. Housing and cost of living expenses are a major concern for many residents in Franklin.

 

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The Executive Summary can be found ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5322/FY26-Budget-Narrative

Sections of the Summary will continue to be shared in advance of the Finance Committee budget hearings scheduled for April 28, April 29, and May 1.

The FY 2026 budget page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=500

The FY 2026 Override info for the June 3 vote -> https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/1089/Fiscal-Year-2026-Override-Information

Town Administrator Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget - Executive Summary

In compliance with Article Six, Sections 6-3-1 through 6-5-2 of the Franklin Town Charter, I am submitting the proposed FY26 Budget Message & Budget to the Town Council and Finance Committee.

I am presenting a balanced budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), which assumes an approved override amount of $3,862,672 as approved and placed on the ballot by the Town Council on March 19, 2025. Without the approval of an override by the registered voters of Franklin at the special election on June 3, 2025 the Town will have to produce $3,862,672 in revenue to continue level service or reduce budget line items.

Beginning in September of 2024, the Joint Budget Subcommittee, which consists of members from the Finance Committee, Town Council and School Committee, and town and school staff held monthly meetings to walk the entire community through the annual budget process. The JBSC held six townwide listening sessions in different areas of town and at different times of day to give the entire community and every stakeholder an opportunity to ask questions, share opinions and engage in the budget process. Please visit the FY26 Budget page for all materials related to the FY26 budget process.

The Executive Summary explains the budget process, highlights, assumptions, and provides some general overview statistics and trends. Detailed department budget narratives that speak to the mission of and strategic initiatives within each department are included in Section 2 of this document, and detailed budget line item numbers are located in Appendix A.

The budget process is a year round exercise, occurring throughout the entire fiscal year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). Town staff continuously update the budget model as new information becomes available. A budget review typically occurs every November prior to setting the annual tax rate. Residents are encouraged to sign up for Town Council agendas and legal notices here, which disclose the most up to date budget related actions and discussions in town. Residents who seek to take a deeper dive into departmental or project specific finances can review the Franklin Finance Committee meetings. The Finance Committee meets regularly to discuss and debate townwide financial information at length. Please visit the Town Budget page on the Town website for the latest FY26 budget information. All budget meetings can be viewed on the Town’s YouTube channel, live and in archive, and on Franklin TV.

 

The Town of Franklin continues to perform at a very high level and is widely regarded as a leader across Massachusetts for our innovative and collaborative approach to both town and school management. The entire municipal government consists of a proficient, creative, dynamic and professional team that performs at an exemplary level. The Town and School Departments provide exceptional services to residents at a very good value. I encourage Franklin residents to reflect on their own success: high graduation rates and college readiness, incredible school athletic achievements, superior special education services, vibrant extracurricular activities, and more:

● Franklin Public Schools had a 100% graduation rate in 2024.

● Franklin Public Schools is the 53rd best ranked High School in Greater Boston, which also happens to be the best public school system in the United States. Of High Schools with greater than 1,500 students, Franklin is the 12th highest performing High School in Massachusetts, just behind Arlington and Andover.

● Franklin Public Schools won the Dalton Award five years in a row, between 2018 to 2023, indicating the highest sports team winning percentage in the state with teams winning national and state championships; most recently Basketball and Cheerleading, as well as many students receiving elite college scholarships. Numerous youth sports teams also win championships and compete at a very high level.

● Franklin Public Schools has award winning team and individual academics, arts, and music achievements.

● Franklin Fire is rated a ISO-1 - the best possible rating a Fire Department can receive. Franklin Fire is one of only 9 communities in Massachusetts with this rating; one of 15 in New England and one of 450 out of 45,000 Fire Departments in the United States. The Franklin DPW qualifies as 40% of the requirements for this status because they also are first responders in town!

● The Franklin PD is exceeding national standards for law enforcement, having received full accreditation of 327 Best Practice Standards of Excellence.

● Both Franklin Fire and Franklin Police are operating at staffing levels that are the highest and most secure that they have ever been. While call volume trends continue to rise at record-breaking levels, any further reductions in staff will unquestionably hurt response times and the overall quality of public safety in Franklin.

● Franklin is a AAA Bond Rated community - the highest possible credit rating the Town can receive. We are in the top 25% of Massachusetts in this category, as approximately 80 communities are AAA rated. The Town has received a AAA Bond Rating twice and will be evaluated again this spring with the purchase of a fire truck. This favorable rating allows the Town to borrow at a lower rate, saving the Town as well as residents and taxpayers significant money over time.

● Franklin has received exemplary financial audits that have improved every year without recommendations for improvement for both Town and School Departments.

● The Department of Public Works (DPW) continues to be a regional leader in rebuilding the Town’s infrastructure, including the largest public works project in history over the next three years, the Beaver Street Interceptor. The project, which will replace a 109 year old system for 75% of the town’s raw sewage, is currently on time and under budget moving into one of the largest phases of the project.

● First class arts, cultural, and community resources through various departments, including Franklin Recreation, Senior Center, Public Library, Historical Museum, Public Schools, Veterans’ Services, Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, as well as various public-private partnerships relating to arts, culture, and economic development. The staff of these departments are innovative and service some of the community's highest need residents with incredible programs and compassion.

● Public access to walking, biking and hiking trails, open space and high quality, modern town and school facilities, including sports and recreation fields is abundant. The Town purchased over 200 acres of open space in the last three years, including the recently proposed SNETT Trail expansion. Over the next five years the Town will be planning how to use this open space to meet the needs of the community for future generations to come.

● Franklin has maintained its status as a Green Community and is widely known as a leading community in sustainability.

● The Town also has a favorable business climate with 20% of the overall tax base paid for by the commercial business sector. In recent years we have seen record breaking local taxes in meals, hotels and cannabis, and the Town has more restaurants, with a significant amount of them locally owned, than we did before the pandemic.

● We are fortunate to have a progressive, knowledgeable, fair and talented Public Health, Building & Inspections, and Planning & Community Development staff whose aim is to create a safe, vibrant and thriving business environment in Franklin.

● Franklin boasts exceptional and professional administrative, finance and support staff throughout both the municipality and school district.

The Town of Franklin and the Franklin Public Schools are fortunate to have dedicated, hard working and compassionate staff from the bottom to the top of the organization! Despite the overwhelming amount of requests the Town receives for services, departmental operations have excelled throughout the past few years and have become even more efficient. As we continue to find innovative ways to do more with less, enough cannot be said for the commitment, passion, innovation, humility and teamwork of the staff. The overall achievements of this organization have been tremendous, and we should all be thankful and appreciative of what this team has achieved and the role the municipal and school staff play in strengthening the community. The future of the organization remains as bright as ever, and the quality of life in Franklin is as exceptional as it has ever been.

As I have documented in prior Fiscal Forecasts and Budget Narratives, while services in FY26 will remain highly effective, inflation has now settled into the local budget.

The Executive Summary can be found ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5322/FY26-Budget-Narrative

Sections of the Summary will continue to be shared in advance of the Finance Committee budget hearings scheduled for April 28, April 29, and May 1.

The FY 2026 budget page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=500

The FY 2026 Override info for the June 3 vote -> https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/1089/Fiscal-Year-2026-Override-Information

Executive Summary (Part 2) for the FY 2025 Town of Franklin Budget

Continuing to share Town administrator Jamie Hellen's Executive Summary for the FY 2025 budget. The first part is here ->   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/04/executive-summary-part-1-for-fy-2025.html

Link to the full summary and budget doc -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/fy_25_budget_message_narrative_updated_links_2.pdf

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Expenditures Highlights

● The Franklin Public School District will see an increase in their budget of $3,000,000 over FY24, which is a 4.2% increase and tied for the largest single year increase the Schools have ever received. Further analysis is in the Future Trends section below.

● The budget includes a 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all municipal personnel, including collective bargaining agreement commitments, which amounts to $625,000. School salaries are located in the school budget.

● Municipal employee pension costs will absorb almost $388,320 in new revenue for municipal departments and some non-teacher school employees.

● What is NOT in the budget compared to the Preliminary Budget Model presented on March 6th, 2024:

○ $378,000 in additional DPW expenses;

○ $85,000 (plus benefits) in the Facilities Budget for a Sustainability Coordinator;

○ $200,000 in additional Public Property and Buildings expenses (School related);

○ $2,000 in additional Town Council expenses;

○ $5,000 in additional Cultural Council grant money;

○ $5,000 in additional Historical Museum expenses; and

○ $6.3 million for Franklin Public Schools Level Service plus Restoration of cuts.

● What is NOT in the budget with regard to long-term planning:

○ Additional resources toward Debt & Interest. In 2026, we anticipate borrowing for a Remington-Jefferson remodel and the Horace Mann Roof replacement;

○ Additional public infrastructure costs for roads, sidewalks, parking lots, trails, crosswalks, tree trimming to prevent power outages, bike lanes, traffic calming to slow people down; pedestrian crosswalks and other public works improvements;

○ $2 million in annual capital needs transferred to the operating budget - costs for Police and Fire safety gear, school curriculum, school and town technology, school and town fleet, and DPW apparatus.

○ Funds to address an increasing demand and reliance on Technology, mostly in our Schools.

○ Additional staffing investments for green and sustainability goals, open space planning, conservation efforts, and net zero initiatives.

○ Funding for Municipal Capital Projects: Police Station, Beaver Street Recycling Facility and other community requests, such as an Arts Center.

○ An additional $4.3 million for level service for Schools or $6.3 million to restore some previous cuts in 2023-24 to the Schools;

○ Additional Strategic investments toward Franklin Public Schools, such as foreign language, capital, facilities, clubs, academies, and arts related curriculum; and

○ Assumptions related to collective bargaining negotiations for the Town's unions, as these contracts expire at the end of FY25. CBA’s will be for FY26, FY27 and FY28.

 

Future Trends

The constant pressure on local government to fund all of the work that needs to get done is becoming unsustainable. The Massachusetts Municipal Association continues to advocate for greater investment in infrastructure from the state and to relieve the many unfunded mandates the state is placing on local governments. Municipal and School departments work hard managing their budgets, investing in value added services and adapting to citizen feedback and a changing world. Moving into FY25 and the following fiscal years, we see a handful of issues that need to be monitored, most notably cost increases to residents in the form of stormwater utility rates, sewer rates and other major capital investments in town.

1. Affordability for all residents. Residents have seen costs increase across all aspects of their lives. As outlined at the March 6, 2024 Joint Budget Subcommittee meeting, as leaders in the community we have to be conscious of the effects the costs of doing business have on our residents. In addition to the likelihood of an override ballot question for a new Franklin Police Station, residents will also see an increase in the following areas:

○ Sewer Rates. Effective July 1, 2024, there will be a 15% increase in sewer rates. We are required to raise rates to create surety behind the loan for the Beaver Street Interceptor. The interceptor was first built and paid for 109 years ago and lasted for generations. The time has come for the residents of Franklin today to pay for a new interceptor and pay the debt for current and future generations of Franklinites.

○ Stormwater. FY24 represents year one of the Stormwater Utility to address the federal unfunded EPA mandates. As each year progresses, the permit becomes shockingly more expensive. A rate increase will be required to stay up-to-date with the permit. We estimate a minor increase of about $1.50 per billing unit, which is on average $10-$20 a year for most households. This rate increase will ensure solvency of the stormwater utility budget. However, in the next few years, a much more detailed public discussion must take place on the expense associated with the Town’s Phosphorus Control Plan, which is estimated to cost $30 million over five years. Addressing this issue is not optional, as these are unfunded federal mandates. The town has already sued the federal government over this issue.

○ Water Rates. Residents can also expect to see an 8% water rate increase in each of the next three years. Two major federal and state regulatory required projects are expected to come online in the form of a $25 million water filtration project (water tank membrane to protect from manganese and iron) and the first of the Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) required projects - a $6.5 million PFAS Filtration Plant (with a zero % interest loan from the state). Rate payers will see an approximate $50 increase per year over the next three years.

○ The Tri-County School Project. In November 2023, 61% of residents that participated in the election voted in affirmative to raise property taxes through a debt exclusion to pay for Franklin’s anticipated $2.1 million per year assessment. Congratulations to the Tri-County School community for their campaign to build a new facility and successfully navigate the MSBA process. Approximately ⅓ of the project is paid for by the state. The tax impact for this project will begin in FY25 and is reflected in the debt exclusion budget model and expenditure line item with an increase of $132,298. The tax rate will be adjusted later this year to reflect the increase in levy for Franklin's portion. This project is budget neutral. At full maturity in FY27, an average ($650,377) Franklin household will have taxes raised by $169/year to pay for this. That rate will decline over the life of the project.

While I am sure these messages of rate increases are hard to handle, residents must also realize every city and town in Massachusetts is going through similar situations managing severe cost drivers related to public infrastructure. We are fortunate to have ample and clean resources, we do pay for it in Massachusetts.

2. The Franklin Public Schools have informed us that in order to maintain “level” or “status quo” services from the current year to FY25, a budget increase of $7.3 million, or 10.13% is required. A level services budget plus restoration of FY24 cuts yields an increase of $9.3 million, or 12.92% Please review the Budget Update from the School Committee meeting on February 13, 2024 for additional information. Below are some additional informational points that relate to the fiscal challenges of the public schools:

● The state’s Chapter 70 Formula is not in the Towns’ favor and will continue to be a pressure point, especially if the Legislature is forced to alter the formula due to the Town’s increasing “Hold Harmless” situation.

● Significant fixed costs and capital costs to technology, facilities, and fleet will compete with operating costs to education and classrooms. These costs are not a part of the preliminary budget model, but still need funding sources.

● Collective bargaining looms in FY26 with Franklin Education Association (FEA) and other unions. Labor and personnel costs have risen significantly for the schools, but this is also a trend affecting all municipalities statewide.

● Unsustainable special education cost increases, which put pressure on all aspects of the school budget.

● Central office staffing capacity in Administration, Finance and Human Resources and technology investments.

● School Revolving Funds solvency at the end of FY24 heading into FY25 and having some respectable reserves.

● Town and School federal ARPA and ESSR money expires at the end of this calendar year.

● Continued declining enrollment. In 2008, the school district enrollment was 6,464. The most recent enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year is 4,721 (as of Feb 2024). The school district is losing 100-150 students a year in district enrollment and this trend is expected throughout most of the rest of the decade. In 2022, the School Committee hosted a redistricting exercise and looked at future enrollment projections and facilities needs, but that resulted in no action. They have reenaged McKibben Consulting to relook at the district demographics; however even the assumptions used in that study does not not offer a clear picture. Town staff have worked closely with the Schools to ensure the correct development and growth assumptions are made in any final study that may shape redistricting and the better use of town and school facility space. The objective is to streamline operations and maximize space to alleviate increasing fixed costs.

● It is also important to note that portions of the municipal budget are made up of school related costs in the amount of approximately $20 million when fully funded (Note: It is important to note that figure is based on conservative assumptions. This figure could be much higher). Both the Facilities Department and the DPW have seen consistent increases to their budgets specific to school related costs. While these costs continue to increase, it is important to note that their budgets have not been fully restored to pre pandemic levels for school or municipal costs. The “Municipal” budget pays for all school building debt & interest, property and casualty insurance, worker’s compensation, snow removal, non-teacher pension costs, grounds & building maintenance, utilities, OPEB costs, fuel for the school van fleet, unemployment insurance, retired teacher health and life insurance, some staff, and much more.

3. Budget capacity to fund future projects. The Debt and Interest budget remains one of our most pressing budgetary concerns. At 1.59% of recurring general fund revenues, this slice of the budget is far below town goals and has been trending in the wrong direction for years, due to previous borrowing costs coming off the schedule and high interest rates to quell inflation. It should increase through the rest of the decade to maintain our Public Schools and Town facilities. Other scheduled capital facilities or infrastructure projects that would be paid for in these budget line items over the next five years are the Remington-Jefferson rehabilitation, the High School ten-year update, Washington Street to Grove Street sidewalk, Beaver Street Recycling Center and Solid Waste Master Plan, and the Police Station. If the town borrows to do any of these projects in the future, debt and interest will rise and leave fewer dollars available for other areas of the budget.

4. Sustainability. Also looming around the corner for FY26 is a new round of collective bargaining negotiations for the Town's unions - teachers, police patrol, police sergeants, fire, public works, police sergeants, custodians, maintenance/trades, and librarians - as these contracts expire at the end of FY25. If we are to avoid sizable layoffs and/or cuts to all town services this fiscal year, and certainly in FY26 and beyond, the community must recognize that we are all in this together. It is imperative that residents take the time to learn and understand the budgeting pressures on both the schools and the municipality at large, and how these cost pressures counterbalance affordability to all citizens, businesses, and stakeholders in the Town of Franklin. We hope to avoid an “Us v. Them” debate. As we have suggested for many years, the Joint Budget Subcommittee may want to endorse a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Equity Goal to avoid deepening budget deficits in future fiscal years. Otherwise, an escalation of budget increases in personnel and labor will most certainly result in unsustainable costs to the town, including the schools. This issue does not even include a calculation that additional staff investments may be needed for school and municipal services based on what the community desires. The town will be in a painful position of extensive layoffs or service reductions if we do not (1) start to manage expectations on the capacity of the town’s service limits and (2) start to coordinate and better strategically plan town and school operating budget finances.

For the full FY 2025 budget and narrative sections ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/fy_25_budget_message_narrative_updated_links_2.pdf

All the FY 2025 budget materials can be found -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget/webforms/fy-25-budget-materials

Executive Summary (Part 2) for the FY 2025 Town of Franklin Budget

Build-Out & Infrastructure Analysis from MAPC Franklin For All Executive Summary

An extract from the Build-Out & Infrastructure Analysis from MAPC Franklin For All Executive Summary follows: (In the full report, this can be found on pages 15-17. The Summary Memo #3 can be found on page 60)

When proposing recommendations that can lead to increased density in an area, it is important to assess the potential impacts from new development and the municipality’s ability to serve that new development. A “build-out analysis” is a tool used in urban planning to estimate the amount and location of future growth. This analysis provides a projection of the maximum number of new housing units and other nonresidential square footage that could result if each parcel were to be redeveloped according to proposed zoning regulations. From there, potential impacts can be estimated such as increased population, parking needs, traffic, demand on municipal services, and more. In general, a build-out analysis provides an overestimation of growth and associated impacts with the understanding that many parcels in a given area will not be redeveloped for any number of reasons.

The new Multi-Family Zoning Requirement for MBTA Communities, also known as the new Section 3A of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A (“Section 3A”), requires communities that are served by the MBTA to have at least one zoning district of a “reasonable size” located within a half-mile of an MBTA station where multifamily housing is permitted “as of right” at a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre. To comply with the “reasonable size” requirement in Section 3A, these districts must be at least 50 acres total with a minimum of 25 contiguous acres. Under the regulations, Franklin will also need to prove to DHCDw that it has multifamily district with a unit capacity—the number of housing units that can be developed as of right in the district— equal to or greater than 1,883 units.

Currently, Franklin does not have a district of reasonable size that complies with all the requirements of Section 3A. The Downtown Commercial District does allow multifamily housing in accordance with Section 3A, but that district is less than the required 50 acres (40.2 acres). If it fails to comply with Section 3A, Franklin will no longer be eligible for state funding from the Housing Choice Initiative, the Local Capital Projects Fund, the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, and potentially other grant sources.

MAPC’s Data Services Department conducted an analysis to calculate total build-out units in the Franklin Center study area based on the Town’s current zoning and the adoption of new zoning regulations that comply with Section 3A. This analysis assumes the adoption of a Chapter 40R Smart Growth Overlay District (described in detail in the Recommendations section) that includes properties within the Downtown Commercial (DC), Commercial I (CI), and General Residential V (GRV) Districts.

With a total build-out of 3,352 housing units spread out across 174.29 acres, the district-wide gross density would come out to 19.23 units/acre and thus comply with Section 3A. MAPC compared the results of the build-out analysis with existing housing units in the CI, DCD, and GRV Districts to calculate net unit yield.

Build-Out & Infrastructure Analysis from MAPC Franklin For All Executive Summary

Based on recent studies, local data, site visits, and interviews with Town staff, MAPC has assessed infrastructure in the Franklin Center study area to determine to what extent existing infrastructure may be a barrier to new development and redevelopment.

DPW has no concerns about capacity issues in Franklin’s water and sewer systems, and they think that a very substantial amount of development would need to happen in a very short period of time in order for this to be a concern. Both Franklin’s wastewater and water supply systems could handle another 20% of their total capacity before it becomes a concern. DPW notes that the additional 20% does not mean 20% more units or more people, as newer systems are going to be more efficient in water usage and drainage.

If we translate 2,510 net units under the total build-out in the previous section to population, we could expect a maximum of 6,526 new residents given the average household size in Franklin of 2.6. This would be an increase Franklin’s population by a maximum of 17.8%, from 36,745 to 43,271 people. Based on these findings and the fact that the build-out is an overestimation, MAPC does not believe that the increase in population as a result of Franklin For All’s proposed zoning changes will result in capacity concerns for the Town’s water and sewer supplies.

The Charles River Pollution Control District operates the treatment facility that supports the Town’s sewer system. As part of the agreement for Franklin to be in the Charles River Pollution Control District, the State mandates that people may only water their lawns on trash day. This restriction is announced by the Town each year and runs from May to September. Because of this policy, residents have a false perception that the Town’s water supply is stressed and they blame new development for these complaints.

As the Town of Franklin considers new zoning in and around its downtown center, ensuring the provision of adequate transportation infrastructure and multimodal walking, biking, and transit connectivity will be critical to accommodate new growth and development. Under Section 3A, the Town must create a new multifamily zoning district, 50% of which must be located within half a mile of a commuter rail station. With an MBTA station in the heart of its pedestrian-friendly downtown, Franklin is well-positioned to create new transit- oriented housing and commercial opportunities for residents and visitors. However, targeted infrastructure improvements and broader transportation policy changes will be necessary to ensure that the Town maximizes the potential benefits it can realize under Section 3A.

Summary Memo #3 contains transportation observations and recommendations for infrastructure improvements at specific locations in Franklin Center, as well as more general transportation observations and recommendations that will enable the Town of Franklin to help meet projections for future growth.

The full report from MAPC on the Franklin For All project can be found

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19mEIXUyn9W5LNvxOF3dt6_kjLJNbB0eG/view?usp=sharing

The Build-out and Infrastructure Analysis in PDF format ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AVnJhGCmQRVNT26Y7RxQfpfPsPM3IsmK/view?usp=sharing

Summary Memo #3 in PDF format ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AXceqlsJzMi_TcUYT2sJ_Dlz1MhWUT2Q/view?usp=sharing

Build-Out & Infrastructure Analysis from MAPC Franklin For All Executive Summary

Executive Summary: ** 2021 Town of Franklin Housing Production Plan (HPP) ***

The Town of Franklin Housing Production Plan (HPP) is a proactive strategy for meeting the housing needs of the community, and in particular, for planning and enhancing its affordable housing inventory. This document, an update to Franklin’s first HPP that was approved by Town Council in 2011, has been designed to expand upon the concepts outlined in the previous 2011 HPP, serve as an update with more recent data, and explore incentives and other options to increase Franklin’s affordable housing supply.

Since 2011 the Town has made good progress implementing its affordable housing goals and increasing the number of SHI Eligible Housing units. In 2019, the Town surpassed the State-mandated target of 10% affordable housing of its total year-round housing units under M.G.L. Chapter 40B. This Housing Production Plan (HPP) is intended to direct housing development and preservation in such a way that the Town will remain above 10%, and therefore be in control of its 40B destiny. In addition the strategies included in the updated HPP provide the Town’s residents with options not previously not pursued.

Previous Affordable Housing Planning. The Town has made affordable housing planning a priority for much of the last twenty-five years. The Town of Franklin’s 1997 Master Plan prioritized creating affordable housing for the community’s senior population, which is summarized in Goal 1 of the Housing Element: “Ensure that housing opportunities for the elderly are sufficient in number and type to meet the projected growth in their population”.
In 2004, the Housing Element of Franklin’s Community Development Plan, “Affordable Housing, Strategy and Development Action Plan” identified several goals the Town still needs to address, including: Increase housing opportunities for low, moderate, and middle income households; Ensure the Town meets the 40B goal for subsidized housing; Increase housing opportunities for seniors; and Encourage development of multifamily housing.

In 2011 the Affordable Housing Strategy and Development Action Plan, Franklin’s first Housing Production Plan was approved by DHCD. The Plan had several similar goals to those mentioned above including Encourage development of multifamily housing; Increase housing opportunities for seniors and the elderly, but focused much effort on utilizing zoning to create greater housing density, use Zoning “By Right” as a tool, and Amend the zoning by-laws to allow Assisted living and other elderly housing facilities. The biggest priority of the 2011 HPP was creation of a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust. A summary of the Plan’s Housing Implementation Strategy is included in this document as Attachment B.

The most recent housing related planning was during creation of Franklin’s 2013 Master Plan. Substantial public input was gathered and Master Plan Committee developed housing goals that reflected the needs of the community. Housing related Goals, Objectives and proposed actions from the Master Plan’s Implementation Element are included in Attachment C of this document. 

The most relevant housing goals for the purposes of this HPP are as follows:

• Goal 1: Provide the appropriate mix of housing alternatives that meet the needs of Franklin based employment
• Goal 2: Support development of affordable housing opportunities for low, moderate and middle- income households.
• Goal 4: Encourage, rezone as required, and support housing appropriate for expected future demographics.

The above goals have influenced the development of the HPP’s goals detailed in Section 2.

Find the full copy of the Housing Production Plan

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_housing_production_plan_-_may_2021_public_draft.pdf

Info on the public comment period

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/05/2021-draft-housing-production-plan-open.html

Executive Summary: **2021 Town of Franklin - Housing Production Plan - Public Review Draft**

Town of Franklin - budget growth and split between municipal and schools - FY 2012 to FY 2022

As part of the continuing series to prepare for the Finance Committee budget hearings (which begin next week) and the Town Council budget hearings (in May), check out the link to the details on the history of the budget year over year from FY 2012.

Appendix C1 - Historic Data: Budget Breakdown
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/appendix_c_historic_data_fy22.xlsx_-_budget_breakdown.pdf

The chart depicts the split between the municipal portion of the budget (police, fire, etc...) (orange color) and the school portion (both K-12 and others) (blue color) as well as showing the growth of the budget year by year.

municipal and school split over the FY 2012-FY2022 period

Prior posts

School budget, executive summary by School Superintendent Sara Ahern

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/04/franklin-public-schools-fy-2022-annual.html

Executive summary by Town Administrator Jamie Hellen
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/04/franklin-public-schools-fy-2022-annual.html

Link to Town of Franklin budget proposal for FY 2022
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/04/fy-2022-town-of-franklin-budget-proposal.html

 

Franklin Public Schools: FY 2022 Annual Budget - Message to the Community

"We are pleased to present the School Committee's Approved FY2022 Budget to the community. This budget is the culmination of many steps in the  development process, beginning with the School Committee's Budget Workshop on December 1, 2020. Since then, the Superintendent, Central Office team, building principals, and School Committee have been working collaboratively to develop a budget for the 2021-2022 school year. The FY22 School Committee's Approved Budget in the amount of $67,914,184 represents an increase of $2,255,684 or 3.44% over the FY21 budget.

This budget is presented with two focal areas. First, the budget is shaped to support Franklin's Portrait of a Graduate -- the community's consensus of five essential skills each student will practice and develop through their PreK-12+ school experience. Second, the budget prioritizes services and supports for our students who will be returning to school after over a year of a disrupted educational experience as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, we anticipate that new health and safety practices and effective uses of technology will persist in our learning environments. Our budget is also aligned to the district's four strategic objectives: social-emotional well-being of students and staff; rigorous and engaging curriculum; high-quality instruction to meet the academic and SEL needs of each learner; effective two-way communication to support student learning.

The main drivers of the budget include anticipated increases for health insurance premiums and contractual obligations for salaries. Other contributing factors include a slight reduction in the amount of revolving funds used to offset the budget and an increase in other expenses like contracted services, and supplies/materials. Investments to support the social emotional and academic needs of students are prioritized in this budget. The FY22 budget detail also reflects reductions as a result of the recent decision to retire the Davis Thayer Elementary School. Overall, the FY22 budget equates to a Level Service Budget with a reallocation of $1,090,815 to support some strategic investment initiatives that have been identified by the Administrative team. These Investment Initiatives are outlined in detail on the following pages.

The development of the FY 22 budget was a challenge as the FY 21 budget was significantly complicated by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Additional federal aid is expected through FY 22 and is factored into the projections in the detail that follows. FY 22 state aid to the Town of Franklin is not yet finalized, however, we do not anticipate significant changes to this proposal. The forecast for the development of the future budgets will likely present challenges given the continued needs across the district, the local fiscal forecast, and an expected decrease in Coronavirus relief funding in the next few years.

We are thankful for the collaborative work with the Town Council and the Finance Committee. We want to thank the community of Franklin for support in the public education of Franklin's children."
 

 

This executive summary can be found on Page 4 of the full budget document

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/uploads/exec_summary_4-15-21.pdf

Town of Franklin budget page  https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget 
Franklin Schools budget page  https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-district-budget 

Franklin Public Schools: FY2022 Annual Budget - Message to the Community

Download your copy of the FPS Budget Development and Facts https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SjS8GCvwlhcumoPI17Tjus6bi_paVHsz/view?usp=sharing  or view here https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-district-budget

Franklin Public Schools: Executive Summary of Comprehensive Reopening Plan

 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Franklin Public Schools presents this Comprehensive Reopening Plan to the Franklin Public Schools community after months of planning, using guidance from state agencies such as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Centers for Disease Control, and Department of Public Health. A District-Wide Reopening Task Force met in working groups to consider Health, Safety, and Operations; Teaching and Learning/Digital Learning; Personnel; and Whole Child Supports. Principals are working with Building-Based Implementation teams to plan for building-specific implementation, and coordination of the plan is occurring among administrators across the same level (e.g. elementary, middle). Survey data about remote learning in the spring of 2020 was reviewed in order to improve and develop a stronger remote model with which to open school.

Franklin Public Schools proposes to open in a predominantly remote model of instruction to start the 2020-2021 school year and phase into a hybrid approach throughout the initial fall months. During this time, groups of students will begin coming into school to experience instruction in a hybrid model of both in-person learning, two days a week and remote learning three days a week (grades K-8) and, at the high school, in-person learning one day a week and remote learning four days a week. Target dates (subject to change) include:

• September 16, 2020 -- highest Needs students
• September 30, 2020 -- High Needs Students, Kindergarten and Grade 1
• October 19, 2020 -- Grades 2-3; 6
• October 26, 2020 -- Grades 4-5; 7-8
• November 19, 2020 -- High School

The District is preparing to support the reopening of school by developing Universal Health and Safety Practices, preparing the physical spaces, developing and delivering targeted professional development, acquiring new resources including technology and personal protective equipment (PPE), and funding additional staffing positions to support both the remote and hybrid instructional models.

Universal Health and Safety Practices will be in place for occupancy of our buildings by faculty/staff and students. All members of the Franklin schools community will be expected to wear masks/face coverings except if exempted for a documented medical or behavioral reason. Masks/face coverings may be removed during periodic mask breaks and when eating. Franklin Public Schools will aim for 6 feet of physical distancing, especially when masks are not worn. Three feet of physical distancing will be the minimum. Additional PPE will be used for distancing of less than three feet. Good hand hygiene practices (frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing) will be expected.

The physical spaces of Franklin Public Schools will be modified in order to accommodate the Universal Health and Safety Practices. Desks will be spaced 6 feet apart and facing the same direction. Shared equipment will be minimized. Traffic through the school buildings will be modified to be orderly and to limit interactions among adults and among smaller cohorts of students. Air circulation will be increased and UVGI filters will be installed in HVAC systems. Plexiglass barriers will be installed as an additional protective measure in smaller spaces.  Tents will be placed outdoors for mask breaks and other opportunities for staff and students to gather in a well-ventilated location. Windows will be open whenever possible. The Nurse’s Offices are identifying Medical Waiting Areas for students and staff who are suspected of possibly having COVID-19 and are present in school. Ample, developmentally appropriate signage will be posted in conspicuous locations around the schools to remind students and staff of the Universal Health and Safety Practices.

Staff members will engage in additional professional development in order to support the reopening of school. The first ten days of the school year will provide additional opportunities for our faculty and staff to learn and plan for the school year. Topics of this professional development will include Universal Health and Safety Practices, social-emotional well-being of staff and students, academic instruction in a remote and hybrid environment, assessing and responding to students’ SEL and academic needs upon return to school, and ant-bias education. Professional development will be reinforced throughout the school year in order to support educators implementation of this plan.

The District is using funding from various federal and state coronavirus relief funding opportunities in order to augment resources for reopening school. This includes the acquisition of PPE (e.g. masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, waste disposal bags) for faculty and staff to use. Additionally, the District will use this funding to augment its cache of Chromebooks so that students may experience remote and hybrid learning in a 1:1 environment. Internet capacity exiting our school buildings will be amplified by adding additional bandwidth to support video conferencing and live virtual instruction. The District will expand licenses and subscriptions for teaching resources and instructional software for District-approved materials, which will be curated into a District tool-kit and displayed on a “Landing Page”.

Funding will also go to support additional personnel in reopening schools. The District proposes to hire Digital Learning Integrationists to support remote instruction in the remote and hybrid models. Additionally, the District will hire additional Licensed Practical Nurses to support the anticipated additional health needs of the school community. In order to maintain healthy and safe school buildings, the number of different adults in school should be limited. As such, the District proposed to hire permanent building substitutes. The District also proposes to hire bus/school monitors who will assist in the supervision and enforcement of mask-wearing, physical distancing, and hand hygiene. Crossing guards may be needed if additional students are walking to school, given modifications to bus transportation this year.

This Comprehensive Plan should be considered a living document, which will be updated periodically as the beginning of school gets closer. We anticipate additional guidance, updated health data, and potential information about additional financial resources. Additionally, we will continue to learn as we implement during a very fluid situation. The community will remain informed through the District’s Communication Plan, involving periodic updates from the Superintendent and School Principals and the posting information on the District’s Reopening Website.

Find the full plan on the Town of Franklin page  https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/discussion_action_a_-_reopening_plan.pdf

Franklin Public Schools: Executive Summary of Comprehensive Reopening Plan