Franklin Public Schools: School Choice Enrollment History

The history of school choice enrollment for the Franklin Public Schools from 2003 to the present. This will be an input to the discussion on whether to offer school choice for the next school year.




The recommendation is to continue the recent policy of not enabling school choice. Those students already here can remain but no new enrollments would be accepted.


The full agenda for the School Committee meting Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/04/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-apr.html

School Committee - Draft Meeting Calendar

For the FY 2014 Fiscal year, this is the proposed calendar of meetings for the School Committee. The calendar is up for discussion and approval at the next School Committee meeting.




The full agenda for the School Committee meting Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/04/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-apr.html

In the News: crisis training, medical marijuana, robbery suspect

Franklin firm trains businesses, schools to respond to crises

With repeated exposure to harrowing experiences, the average person can learn to make quick, potentially lifesaving decisions amid the chaos and confusion. That’s the guiding principle behind Synergy Solutions.

Towns struggle for balance with medical marijuana proposals

When local officials discuss the pros and cons associated with a raft of local medical marijuana proposals and restrictions what becomes evident is that the challenge to strike a balance between voters who passed this fall's referendum and legal and health concerns is no small task.

Note: This coverage of what local communities are doing leaves out that Franklin is moving forward with a proposal to establish an overlay zone for these potential businesses in the industrial park areas. There were a series of zoning bylaw proposals referred to the Planning Board at last Wednesday's Town Council meeting
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/04/town-council-040313.html

Franklin police looking for robbery suspect

Police are searching for a man who they say robbed the East Central Street CVS Pharmacy late Friday night with a gun.

Franklin Area Road Races

We're into April, if you want to run a road race in May you should already be on the roads. For those preparing for Boston, you'll be in the taper. Making the final preparations with the long runs behind you and the big day coming quick. 

There are a bunch of road races (and walks) coming up in the Franklin area.

May 11 - you have a choice between supporting the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee or the Franklin Elks. Both are fund raising for a worthy cause. You can actually support both but physically can only run one as the start this year is coincidentally at the same time for both events. Next year, the race dates will be different.

The Elks will hold their first event in what is expected to be an annual series. This event will benefit the Franklin Food Pantry and the Wounded Warrior Project. For additional information and to register visit the website  http://www.franklinelks5k.com/index.html 

The 3rd Annual 5K for the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee will be held to raise money for the further development of the trail.  http://www.franklinbellinghamrailtrail.org/3rd-annual-road-race

HMEA 5K

May 19 - The 12th Annual Independence Day 5K and Walk, Roll, Stroll will benefit the Horace Mann Education Association. More info and to register visit their webpage   http://www.hmea.org/events.html

MassBudget: the new transportation plan - how does it compare

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Less Revenue. Fewer Investments. Earlier this week, House and Senate leaders unveiled their plan to fund transportation with a combination of new tax revenue and increased fees. The plan would shore up MBTA finances and move MassDOT employees from the capital budget to the operating budget--freeing up resources for capital spending. The Joint House and Senate plan is significantly smaller than the Governor's earlier transportation package and it does not include the investments in education that the Governor had proposed. MassBudget's new brief, "The Joint Ways & Means Transportation Proposal," describes the basic structure of the new proposal and compares it to the Governor's. The Joint Ways & Means plan is significantly smaller than the Governor's, raising less money for capital projects. Whereas the Governor's proposal included efforts to make higher education more affordable, to expand access to early education & care, and to increase funding for our public schools, the Joint Ways & Means proposal is focused on transportation. More will be known about the impact on other areas when the House Ways & Means budget comes out next week. New tax revenues to support the Joint Ways & Means plan come from a mix of focused changes, including increases in gas and tobacco taxes along with some changes to business taxes Read our brief on THE JOINT WAYS & MEANS TRANSPORTATION PROPOSAL For a fuller discussion of the Governor's proposal, see OUR BUDGET MONITOR The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

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"We need to go back and re-evaluate"

Initiated during the Citizens Comments during the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, the issue of the intersection at BJ's was discussed during the New Business section and reported on by the Milford Daily News here.

The accident opened old wounds for the West Central Street neighborhood of some 80 homes. For Jenkins and her husband, Gordon, though this crash hit close to home, it was not a surprise. 

While jamming on their brakes and laying on their horns, they and several other Conlyn Avenue residents have been lobbying the town and the state to install a full traffic light there for years. 

They’ve written letters, sent in petitions, gone to the State House, attended Planning Board and Town Council meetings and even stood about the intersection with "STOP" signs, all for naught. 

Because the Massachusetts Department of Transportation owns the roadway, the town cannot install a traffic light. And MassDOT won’t act in large part because not enough traffic passes through the intersection to warrant a light.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1433808197/Crusade-continues-for-signal-at-Franklin-intersection#ixzz2Pg5C4myH

For all the reporting on what happened at the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, check here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/04/town-council-040313.html

Bert Jacobs brings his optimism to Dean

"Optimism Can Take You Anywhere" was the title of the presentation and talk that Bert Jacobs gave at Dean College on Thursday evening. This was the 8th in the series by the Dean Leadership Institute. Dr. Paula Rooney thanked the Robert Kraft and the Kraft Group, last year's speaker for helping to make the connection with the Life is Good founder.

Dr Paula Rooney introduction

Bert wasn't going to talk about t-shirts. He was going to talk about how to approach life as an optimist and how that makes a difference. He touted one of the key factors in his own development as having a family dinner. "Half the world's problems would be solved if people sat down regularly to a family dinner." He father had told him he could be part of the problem or part of the solution.

He downplayed the "6:00 news" as really the "6:00 violence report." When you look around there is a whole lot of good in the world. Longevity is up. Wealth is better distributed. There is no active war at this time. Is life perfect, no. But it is not as bad as it is reported to be.

Bert Jacobs at Dean College

He touted persistence. he and his brother had five and a half years of bad ideas before they hit upon a good one. The good one being the first smiling face t-shirt who image eventually got the name "Jake." What told him that had hit on a good idea. That they had sold 48 t-shirts in an hour in Cambridge to 48 different people. They recognized they had found their market with "life is good."

They focused on finding an element of life and celebrating it. He told of his first t-shirt shop on Cape Cod. They were next to an ice cream parlor. The owner called him to order more shirts and asked if "Jake" could be eating ice cream? Sure, why not. Another idea came from a store owner in Vermont who wanted Jake riding a mountain bike. Sure, why not.

Some ideas didn't work as well as others. Oddly, they had trouble with Jake in a wheel chair. Folks were not getting the real 'life is good' message. "Takers may eat well, but givers sleep well." "Life can hurt, but play can heal."

Bert Jacobs at Dean

He told the story of how they developed their Halloween pumpkin celebrations, how they eveloved to focus on sharing their wealth and doing fund raising for kids. Life is Good Playmakers is part of the overall company. He told of their plans to expand their product lines beyond t-shirts. Hallmark is selling life is good cards. Life is good will have coffee come July. He wouldn't reveal their partner in the coffee business.  They are in talks with an auto manufacturer for a Life is good vehicle.

Bert said "authenticity builds business." "The only ones who can build a brand are your customers." Life is good does not do advertising, everything they do is by word of mouth. Satisfied customers telling their friends and spreading the word.

He closed asking the students to find their positive purpose. He said 'life is good' is spreading the power of optimism. He said, "We can't stop the waves, we need to learn to surf."