Good Morning!
State champs celebrated, FY27 budget previewed, and key school updates. See what the School Committee covered.
Read the entire Newsletter here: https://5il.co/3t10h
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| The new Franklin School Committee newsletter is here Dec 18, 2025 |
Showing posts with label school committee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school committee. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2025
The new Franklin School Committee newsletter is here Dec 18, 2025
Monday, December 15, 2025
What's happening in Franklin, MA: Monday, December 15, 2025 ???
Monday, December 15
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| Library & Senior Center events |
For additional details on Senior Center events ->
** Town Meetings today **
Franklin Public Schools Community Relations Sub Committee Meeting
Monday, December 15 Time: 6:00 PM
https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12152025-2050
250th Anniversary Celebration Committee (Events & Logistics Subcmte)
Monday, December 15 Time: 7:00 PM
https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12152025-2061
Planning Board Meeting
Monday, December 15 Time: 7:00 PM
https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12152025-2056
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Find the full Community event calendar https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar
If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar
The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar
The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar
Saturday, December 13, 2025
School Committee recognizes the Championship volleyball team, approves the capital budget, hears about Student Services (audio)
FM #1605 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1605 in the series.
This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. All 7 members of the committee were present.
Quick recap:
FHS Volleyball team recognized for D1 State Championship for first time
Student Services presentation
Link to slides included below
Capital budget presentation
Link to slides included below
Franklin (MA) School enrollment
Yes, total of Franklin MA and shown where they end up FPS, or elsewhere
Numbers mentioned during recent Town Council meeting shown to be in error with these statistics
Link to the 2 page document included below
Citizen Comments
Steve Sherlock stepped up to talk about
“Hold harmless” is akin to OPEB, Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) was for years an unfunded mandate that drove every budget discussion until the Town realized that the funding requirement for the Norfolk County Retirement would be fulfilled shortly (now slipped to approx. 2035) but then once complete, those funds could be shifted to pay down the OPEB liability. The Town has a plan to fund OPEB. The School can not come up with a plan to fund hold harmless without Town help. There needs to be a plan as part of whatever financial plan the Town puts together.
While the Town (and correctly so) touts clean audits, that wasn’t always the case. The current revolving funds policy to maintain a year's worth arose as a result of an audit issue revealed during 2007. Part of the resolution was (1) the hiring of Miriam Goodman in March 2008 and (2) the intro of the policy to keep one year's worth of funds in the revolving accounts
Audio of student services available https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/12/insights-into-student-services-how-in.html
Community calendar reminder, this week only Weds doesn't have a booster club, youth sports or otherwise a fundraising effort by eating at one of Franklin’s restaurants. Let me know of your fundraising efforts and they can get published on the Community Calendar
Action: To submit a community or cultural event, please use this form: https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar
entered into Executive Session not to return to open meeting
The recording runs about 3 hours and 45 minutes
Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1605-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-12-09-25/--------------
Additional links to key documents for this session
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/12/school-committee-recognizes.html
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| Full School Committee & Supt Giguere with the FHS volleyball team |
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| The State D1 Champion FHS volleyball team showcases their jackets |
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
School Committee recognizes the Championship volleyball team, approves the capital budget, hears about Student Services (video)
The Franklin, MA School Committee met as scheduled for their own session in December on Tuesday, Dec 9 at 6:00 PM. All 7 members were present in Council Chambers.
Franklin TV Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/live/tUGB-NrTDqg?si=hP1E7xxxxg-vJwVa&t=13
Agenda for this session -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12092025-2043
My notes captured during the session -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XXqbmtnXdasgYqiM9utZ2WPhLMQ1S3Gq/view?usp=drive_link
Superintendent’s Report -> https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/FPSD/6159058/December_9__2025_Superintendent_s_Report_to_School_Committee.pdf
School District Capital Request ->
Special Education Presentation to SchCmte -> https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/FPSD/6159049/Special_Education_School_Committee_Presentation_December_9__2025.pdf
Franklin (MA) Enrollment snapshot (as of October 1, 2025)
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| Full School Committee & Supt Giguere with the FHS volleyball team |
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| The State D1 Champion FHS volleyball team showcases their jackets |
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 ???
- FHS Cheerleaders fundraiser from 5 PM to 9 PM (Chipotle Mexican Grill)
12:00pm Community Closet (Franklin United Methodist Church)
7:00pm FBRTC Rail Trail Cmte Mtg (Franklin TV and Radio)
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| Library & Senior Center events |
For additional details on Senior Center events ->
** Town Meetings today **
Franklin School Committee - Budget Subcommittee
December 9, 2025, 6:00 PM
https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12092025-2047
Franklin School Committee Policy Subcommittee Meeting
December 9, 2025, 6:00 PM
https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12092025-2046
Design Review Meeting-CANCELED
December 9, 2025, 7:00 PM
Friends of the Franklin Public Library Meeting
December 9, 2025, 7:00 PM
Franklin School Committee
December 9, 2025, 7:00 PM
https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12092025-2043
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Find the full Community event calendar https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar
If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar
The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar
The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar
Saturday, December 6, 2025
3 School Committee meetings on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2025
2 School Committee subcommittees are scheduled to meet at 6 PM in the 3rd floor Conf room (Budget) and the 3rd floor Training room (Policy).
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| 3 School Committee meetings on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2025 |
The full School Committee is scheduled to meet at 7 PM in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor.
I'll "follow the money" and record/report on the Budget subcommittee meeting.
Franklin TV will broadcast the full School Committee meeting from Council Chambers. I'll participate to report on the meeting.
That provides a detailed update on 2 of the 3 meetings. If someone is willing to take notes on the Policy meeting, I can work with them to share those notes.
Agenda documents include remote participation info:
full School Committee -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12092025-2043
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Healey-Driscoll Administration Releases Statewide High School Graduation Framework
"State leaders released on Monday the broad outlines of new educational standards students would be required to meet to graduate from high school, including mandatory courses, senior projects or portfolios, and financial literacy.
The proposed seven-part “framework” aims to replace the 10th grade test requirement voters did away with last year. But the framework included exam-like “end-of-course assessments.” The potential for new testing drew immediate criticism from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which helped lead the drive to repeal the prior MCAS testing standard.
Governor Maura Healey and other proponents of the plan presented it as a necessary step for the state to maintain its number one ranking in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a status jeopardized by a decadelong decline in achievement."
Boston Globe article on new high school graduation framework
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| portrait of a graduate |
Governor Healey's press release -> https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-releases-statewide-high-school-graduation-framework
Franklin recently approved it's own graduation and competency requirements in lie of the State having this developed and finalized (which will still take time for the State to complete). Meeting recap can be found -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/11/franklin-school-committee-reorganizes_22.html
Sunday, November 23, 2025
SchCmte Chair Paul Griffith helps condense and elaborate on what happened at the SchCmte Mtg of Nov 18, 2025 (audio)
FM #1587 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1587 in the series.
This session shares my conversation with the new Chair of the School Committee Paul Griffith. We had our discussion via Zoom on Thursday, November 20, 2025. We condense and get into the explanations behind the key items from the recent School Committee meeting Nov 18.
Quick recap:
Supt Giguere opens the session, solicits nominations for Chair.
One made by Callaghan for Griffith. Vote on the nomination passes 7-0
Nominations asked for Vice Chair. One made, Griffith nominates Callaghan. Vote on the nomination passes 7-0
Pledge students from the Washington 3-5 school. 5 students in one class had originated in one of the other 5 elementary schools
Policy - 2nd Reading/Adoption. Superintendent recommends adoption of the following policies as discussed:
IKF - Graduation Requirements
IKFE - Competency Determinations
Discussion on the adjustments to the grad requirements and competency which fine tuned the language for clarity. Moved to accept as discussed, passes 7-0
Discussion Only Items, informational for new members and for the weather as winter approaches for all
A. Inclement Weather Notice
B. Review of District/Superintendent’s Goals
C. ACCEPT Quarterly Update
Spent time on the rationale and objectives for each of the subcommittees or liaisons for the SchCmte to assist the new members as which ones to select. Chair will make alignment and reveal for next meeting so they can begin scheduling meetings as needed
The importance of the MASC Workshop providing the first hour of training on the do's and don't of a School Committee member
Our conversation runs about 40 minutes. Let’s listen
Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1587-chalkboard-chat-11-20-25/--------------
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| SchCmte Chair Paul Griffith helps condense and elaborate on what happened at the SchCmte Mtg of Nov 18, 2025 (audio) |
School Committee page (with contact info) -> https://www.franklinps.net/o/fpsd/page/school-committee
School Committee newsletter with brief biographical info on the 7 members in addition to other school news -> https://5il.co/3sh1v
Franklin TV video of the Nov 18 meeting is available for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea9CmNWJI1s
The agenda doc can be found -> https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/FPSD/6138802/SCAGENDA11-18-25.pdf
The meeting packet folder with other docs released for this session ->
My notes in one PDF -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xlF11yc5sLUZBOhYoY_95dGb6zI68i0e/view?usp=drive_link
Pictures captured during the session are in one photo album ->
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TKFnfsbkzprJ5xSj9
-------------
We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
------------------
You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
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