Friday, June 21, 2024
What's happening in Franklin, MA: Friday, June 21, 2024?
Friday, June 21
10:00am Knitting Group (Franklin Public Library)
2:00pm Franklin Farmers Market (Town Common)
3:00pm Moxie (live music) (Town Common)
7:30pm Electric Youth Bon Voyage Concert (THE BLACK BOX)
9:00pm K.O. Trio (live music) (3 Restaurant)
** NO Town Meetings today
 |
| What's happening today in Franklin? |
---------------
Why are there multiple calendars?
There is a Cultural events calendar upon which other community events are layered to create the Community calendar.
Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:
The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events
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 Library calendar of events -> calendar link
The Senior Center calendar of events -> https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/month/39/2023-12
The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26
Franklin Public Schools shares the FY25 Budget Update (as of June 20, 2024)
To: Franklin Community
From: Lucas Giguere, Superintendent
Date: June 20, 2024
RE: FY25 Budget Update
Dear Franklin Community,
On May 22nd, the Franklin Town Council approved an appropriation of $75,324,829. While this appropriation represents a 4.5% increase over FY24, the largest increase the Franklin Public Schools have ever received, it still represents less than the School Committee’s approved budget intended to stabilize the district. As a result of the failed override vote, there is not enough funding to support the approved budget for current services and staffing in the next year (FY25). We must implement program and service cuts as a result of the failed Proposition 2 ½ override.
This document outlines the cuts in staff, supplies, and materials. The School Committee will need to approve a new budget that aligns with the amount allocated by the Town Council. The outlined reductions are necessary to address the financial constraints, as the final budget is lower than the amount needed for Level Service Plus, as detailed in the budget documents available on our website.
With a less-than-level service budget, 37 positions were eliminated, including teachers and educational support personnel (-5.1%), school administration (-6.4%), and other district non-union personnel and administrator (-22%), necessitating the district to prioritize educational needs. Over the past months, we have identified the reductions and shared the associated impacts with our school community.
● Educators = 33/644 = 5.1%● School Leaders = 2/22 = 9.1%● District non-union personnel and administrator= 3/9 = 22%
Below is a summary of the anticipated areas impacted and how these will affect our schools, staff, and students. Please note that program reductions may also include the elimination of specific programming for certain student populations, such as particular grade levels. AS THE BUDGET IS FINALIZED AND MASTER SCHEDULES ARE BUILT, SHIFTS MAY OCCUR.
1. Elementary —Reducing elementary classroom teachers will increase class sizes, with multiple sections at or over recommended guidelines and sections at or above 24 students. Reductions in curriculum specialists will impact elementary tier 2 support for math and literacy, curriculum and assessment development, and classroom support. Reducing library support will result in limited access to elementary school libraries, with school libraries being closed on certain days of the week. Reducing an elementary school adjustment counselor prioritizes students with the most needs, limiting our ability to support students and families proactively.
2. Middle—Eliminating middle school chorus and orchestra programs. Reducing band across the three middle schools will limit the number of students accessing the program. Reducing to one Spanish teacher at each middle school adjusts the program's instructional expectations. Middle school tier 2 reading support is reduced. Reducing library support will result in limited access to middle school libraries, with school libraries being closed on certain days of the week.
3. High School—Reducing high school teachers will increase class sizes, with some sections at or above the recommended guidelines of 24 students. Courses that are graduation requirements will be prioritized over elective offerings in all subject areas, resulting in elective offerings being reduced or eliminated.
The electives being reduced are still being finalized, but likely include: AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, Introduction to Computer Science, AP Latin Language and Culture, Latin I, Creative Writing, Early Childhood Education, Astronomy, Robotics, FAA Anatomy/Structures of Life, Stagecraft, Theater I, II, III, Musical Theatre Workshop, AP Music Theory, Music Production I, II. Juniors and seniors will have priority in AP course selections and wellness/PE electives, displacing and potentially eliminating sophomore AP and PE elective experiences. Athlete access to PE electives will be limited. Many high school extracurricular activities will also be eliminated or reduced.
4. Administrators and non-union staff—Reducing two school-based administrators results in redistributing the responsibilities of current administrators among schools. Reducing three district non-union positions, two in non-union personnel and one district administrator. In analyzing the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's RADAR reports for Franklin Public Schools compared to state averages. Across key categories, the district aligns closely with the statewide norm regarding school leaders per 100 students, maintaining parity at 0.2. Across other key categories, the district falls below the statewide norm regarding Instructional leaders at 0.5 per 100 students, below the state's 0.6 average, and District-level administration, at0.1 per 100 students versus the state's 0.3.
5. Support Services—District-wide social worker support services affect student caseloads, leading to reduced counseling staff intervention, prioritizing those with the most needs, and impacting our ability to support students and families proactively.
6. Operational Adjustments—Increasing all fee and tuition-based programs, self-funding athletics, and reducing all school supply budgets (-25%), reducing the Office of Teaching and Learning budget (-25%) to reduce professional learning opportunities for educators, curriculum resources for students, curriculum committees, educational software, and stipends, Central Office (-25%). Reducing activity monitors (-17%) and educational interventionists (-25%) decreases time spent supporting students.
7. Staff Transfers—Staff transfers due to eliminated positions can create a cascading effect on less senior staff members at various grade levels based on seniority.
Timing and Planning—The impact of additional funding this late in June, before the start of the fiscal year in July, creates challenges for operations, ordering supplies for the new school year, rebuilding master schedules, creating student schedules, and taking away from the time needed to close out the previous fiscal year and plan for the upcoming school year. For example, the high school schedule cannot be run until definitive course and staffing decisions are finalized.
The impact of receiving funding so close to the start of the fiscal year cannot be overstated. It compresses our timeline for crucial tasks such as revising our budget and hiring essential staff, making it challenging to retain and secure
high-quality educator positions and allocate resources effectively. We have received eighteen resignations in May and June, with eleven received in June. Some referenced a desire for more budget stability and less volatility as their reason for leaving the Franklin Public Schools.
Given the timing of our circumstances, an infusion of one-time revenue would only exacerbate the financial challenges the district faces exponentially and would not be used to restore staff positions. As a result of the failed override, we have been prepared to move forward with the reductions in less-than-ideal conditions. While additional funding would benefit students, we, as a community, must recognize that additional allocations to the schools likely come at the expense of town-wide cuts and town-wide services. We do not support subsidizing the schools at the expense of town services and staff. Many of these departments such as the Police, Fire, DPW, Library, and Facilities directly support schools in a variety of ways.
While additional funds are appreciated as a long-term commitment, it remains a reality that receiving these funds at this late date creates challenges with retaining previously cut staff, hiring new staff, and rebuilding master schedules in time, all previously communicated as impacts. We created four budgets at the start of the budget development cycle, received School Committee approval on a recommended budget, and revised the budget to meet the town appropriation. We are now conducting an exercise to identify a series of prioritized bringbacks in the event additional funds are allocated from the town before the start of the fiscal year. These bringbacks have financial implications. The majority of time in July and August will be spent hiring new staff and creating new master schedules at all levels. It is estimated that it will take six full weeks at the high school to meet with students and build a new schedule. Should long-term funding be allocated to the schools, we’ve summarized the POTENTIAL use of resources below, subject to further review.
● Reinstate elementary school educators due to larger-than-optimal class sizes○ Strive Teacher (1.0 FTE)○ Kindergarten teachers (2.0 FTE)○ Grade 5 (1.0 FTE)● Reinstate middle school educators in the following areas:○ Chorus (1.0 FTE)- reinstate chorus● Reinstate FHS educators in the following areas:○ PE/Wellness (1.0 FTE) - add sections of required PE/Wellness classes for all students○ Theater/Music (1.0 FTE) - reinstate theater and music electives○ Librarian (1.0 FTE): NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation evaluates schools based on various standards. Standard 4.4 in Student Learning Support requires a qualified librarian to support curriculum delivery, student research, and information literacy.○ Business (1.0 FTE) - increased student demand and the requirement for Financial Literacy● Review reinstating elementary instructional intervention supports● Review reinstating elementary activity monitors● Review reinstating selected middle school educator instructional and non-instructional stipends● Review reinstating high school educator non-instructional stipends for activities such as Science, Math, Business National Honor Societies, and SAGA (subject to further review)● Fund high school Guidance Department summer hours to build the new master schedule and meet with students to finalize individual schedules for the 2024-25 school year.
Despite the challenges presented, we are committed to staying true to our goal of providing the best education possible for our students with the available resources. Please understand that our leadership team needs the time, space, and bandwidth this summer to complete these priorities while completing the work normally done during the summer as well. As such we will do our best to respond to your contacting us via email and/or phone in as timely a manner as practical.
Sincerely, Lucas Giguere
Superintendent
Franklin Public Schools
The PDF version of this can be found on the Schools page -> https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/budget_update_to_sc_6_18_24.pdf
You can listen to the School Committee meeting of June 18 to hear this presentation and discussion (begins at 46:32)
Governor Healey Signs Bill Banning Revenge Porn, Expanding Protections Against Abuse and Exploitation
Governor Maura T. Healey today (6/20/24) signed into law An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation, which seeks to prevent abuse and exploitation, strengthen protections for survivors, and enhance education for young people about the dangers of sexting and deepfakes.
The law adds Massachusetts to the states that have acted to prohibit image-based sexual assault – sometimes referred to as "revenge porn," which is the non-consensual sharing of explicit images. The law extends to "computer-generated images," such as "deepfakes," which have recently caused alarm. It will also expand the criminal harassment statute to prohibit the distribution of sexual images without consent and increase the maximum fines for criminal harassment convictions.
(L - R) State Rep Jeff Roy, Lt Jason Riley, Gov Maura Healey
The new law also addresses teen sexting provisions from a bill filed by State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin). Rep. Roy worked with Franklin Police Lt. Jason Reilly for several years to make these changes to the law. Currently, minors who possess, purchase, or share explicit photos of themselves or other minors are charged with violating Massachusetts child pornography laws and are required to register as sex offenders. The legislation signed today instead authorizes commitment to the Department of Youth Services (DYS), but also allows minors to be diverted to an educational program in lieu of criminal punishment. A district attorney, however, is allowed to petition the court to bring criminal charges in extreme cases.
The educational diversion program, to be created by the Attorney General, would provide teenagers with information about the legal and nonlegal consequences of sexting, which would be made available to school districts. DESE should also encourage districts to implement media literacy programs in their schools as a prevention measure.
"This legislation represents a coordinated effort and a holistic approach to address an increasingly prevalent behavior and provides mechanisms to protect individuals victimized by those who threaten, intimidate, and harass the subjects of these images," said Roy, a lead sponsor of the bill. "The sexting provisions provide law enforcement officers with a middle ground that will allow them to educate kids about the consequences of their actions without ruining their lives. It will have a tremendous impact on people who have become entangled in the web and transmittal of images that can cause traumatic and lifetime harm through a diversion program that will educate them about the legal and personal consequences of this behavior."
Representative Michael S. Day (D-Stoneham), House Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and House Chair of the conference committee noted: "The House has heard the urgent call of survivors to enhance protections and ensure that our laws keep up with technology. But the House does not just listen, we act. This law will provide essential protections to survivors of predatory acts while, at the same time, intelligently addressing risky adolescent behavior through education and not necessarily only criminalization."
Lt. Reilly was present for the bill signing along with Rep. Roy and a host of state leaders and advocates.
The Governor's press release -> https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-signs-bill-banning-revenge-porn-expanding-protections-against-abuse-and-exploitation
Link to the Legislation -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4744
FHS girls & boys lacrosse All-Stars recognized by HockomockSports.com
2024 Hockomock League Girls Lacrosse All Stars
Below are the official 2024 Hockomock League Girls Lacrosse All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Makenzie McDevitt, King Philip
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
- Julia Flynn, Franklin
- Norah MacCallum, Franklin
- Katie Ryan, Franklin
Honorable Mentions
- Maeve Grasso, Franklin
For the full listing of All-Stars visit
2024 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse All Stars
Below are the official 2024 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Nico Smith, Mansfield
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
- Matt Corvi, Franklin
- Drew McCarthy, Franklin
- Eddie O’Brien, Franklin
- Drew Hansen, Franklin
- Dylan McEvoy, Franklin
- Zak Langevin, Franklin
Honorable Mentions
- Flynn Baker, Franklin
For the full listing of All-Stars visit
 |
| FHS girls & boys lacrosse All-Stars recognized by HockomockSports.com |
FHS' Caccavelli, Cinelli, Miller, Shaughnessy & Campbell for baseball; Boozang & Sacramone for softball
2024 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars
Below are the official 2024 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Jake Maydak, Mansfield
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
- Dom Caccavelli, Franklin
- Rex Cinelli, Franklin
- Matt Miller, Franklin
- Jake Shaughnessy, Franklin
Honorable Mentions
- Austin Campbell, Franklin
For the full listing of All-Stars visit
2024 Hockomock League Softball All Stars
Below are the official 2024 Hockomock League Softball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Samantha Lincoln, Taunton
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
- Sarah Boozang, Franklin
Honorable Mentions
- Sophia Sacramone, Franklin
For the full listing of All-Stars visit
Master Plan Update Cmte - Agenda for Weds, June 26 meeting at 5:30 PM
Town of Franklin - Master Plan Committee
June 26, 2024 - 5:30PM
1. Meeting Minutes Approval – May 8, 15 & 29, 20242. Subcommittee Reports3. Update on July 10th Public Hearing4. Next steps, Implementations stage5. Adjourn
Agenda doc -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/master_plan_agenda_-june_26_2024.pdf
 |
| Master Plan Update Cmte - Agenda for Weds, June 26 meeting at 5:30 PM |
Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - Agenda for June 24 virtual only meeting
Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Community Relations Subcommittee
June 24, 2024 - 5:00 PM
Virtual Only
A G E N D A
"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."
● New FPS Website
● FY25 Communication Planning
Agenda doc -> https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/community_relations_subcom_agenda_-_6_24_24.pdf
 |
| Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - Agenda for June 24 virtual only meeting |
Town of Franklin: RFP - Water Testing and Analysis
RFP - Water Testing and Analysis
In accordance with M.G.L. 30(B), section (6), it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to obtain services from a qualified Water Testing and Analysis Contractor.
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/rfp-water-testing-and-analysis
RFP = Request for Proposal |
| Town of Franklin: RFP - Water Testing and Analysis |
Mass. Municipal Assn: Webinar on how municipalities an support arts & culture (video)
Mass. Municipal Assn (@massmunicipal) posted on Thu, Jun 20, 2024:
"An MMA webinar earlier this week with @masscultural reviewed how municipalities can support arts and culture, as well as the benefits they offer to communities.
View summary & recording: https://t.co/pifXHVEFlq "
 |
| An MMA webinar today with the Mass Cultural Council reviewed how municipalities can support arts and culture, as well as the benefits they offer to communities. Speakers included (top row l-r) Michael Bobbitt, Mass Cultural Council Executive Director, Franklin Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Director Cory Shea, Bedford Select Board Member Emily Mitchell; (bottom row l-r) Franklin Cultural District Member Pandora Carlucci, Fitchburg Cultural Alliance President Joe Bowen, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. |
Is that person you met online really a military servicemember…or a scammer?
|
 |
| Is that person you met online really a military servicemember…or a scammer? |
Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) schedule for Friday, June 21, 2024
- wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Friday
9:00a/12:00p /6:00p Chapters – Jim Derick Insightful, life-affirming stories and interviews
10:00a/1:00p/7:00p Music to Lift the Spirit - Jim Derick & Frank Falvey
11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Senior Story Hour – Senior Center Scribblers Group
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = FRIDAY
7:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Sharing Identity on Social Media
8:30 am Frank Presents: Wayne Dunnebier
10:00 am Riffing on Main Street: Michael Walker Jones
11:00 am Senior Connection: Public Health
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin': Peppers
12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Rigatoni Al Forno
1:00 pm ArtWeek: Theater in the Open
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Deep Dish
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 2
3:00 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Student Athletes May 2024
4:00 pm Celebrate with Pride: Sioo
5:30 pm Memorial Day Breakfast 2024
8:30 pm Endless Konnections: Legrand Lindor
9:30 pm Circle of Friends: Garnet Rogers
8:30 am Frank Presents: Wayne Dunnebier
10:00 am Riffing on Main Street: Michael Walker Jones
11:00 am Senior Connection: Public Health
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin': Peppers
12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Rigatoni Al Forno
1:00 pm ArtWeek: Theater in the Open
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Deep Dish
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 2
3:00 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Student Athletes May 2024
4:00 pm Celebrate with Pride: Sioo
5:30 pm Memorial Day Breakfast 2024
8:30 pm Endless Konnections: Legrand Lindor
9:30 pm Circle of Friends: Garnet Rogers
- Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 28) = FRIDAY
7:00 am Public School Event: Horace Mann Winter Music 2021
8:30 am Mental Health: Ryan Pellechia
9:30 am Tri County Graduation 2024
11:00 am FHS Varsity Softball: v St. Paul Diocesan 06-01-24
1:30 pm Public School Event: Sullivan Spring Music 2024
3:00 pm ArtWeek: Ed Iannuccilli
6:00 pm FHS Graduation 2024
9:00 pm FHSTC: Footloose
8:30 am Mental Health: Ryan Pellechia
9:30 am Tri County Graduation 2024
11:00 am FHS Varsity Softball: v St. Paul Diocesan 06-01-24
1:30 pm Public School Event: Sullivan Spring Music 2024
3:00 pm ArtWeek: Ed Iannuccilli
6:00 pm FHS Graduation 2024
9:00 pm FHSTC: Footloose
- Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 9, Verizon 29) = FRIDAY
8:00 am Zoning Board of Appeals 05-23-24
2:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals 05-23-24
2:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals 05-23-24
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
 |
| Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA |
Thursday, June 20, 2024
What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, June 20, 2024?
Thursday, June 20
8:30am Town Council Office Hours (Franklin Senior Center)
9:00am Fallen Hero: Edward A. Kelly (Veterans Walkway, Town Common)
5:00pm CANCELED - Rotary Spaghetti meal
6:00pm FHS Football Fundraising w/ Jamie Barrett (La Cantina Winery)
6:30pm Kevin Hurchen (live music) (Raillery Public House)
7:00pm Author and Moderated Q & A with Mercury Stardust (Franklin Public Library)
7:00pm 350 Franklin Node Meeting (FUSF & virtual)
9:00pm Tom Abbott (Live music) (3 Restaurant)
** Town Meetings today
Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School Meeting
Event Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024 - 7:00pm
ZBA Meeting (CANCELED)
Event Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024 - 7:30pm
|
| What's happening today in Franklin? |
---------------
Why are there multiple calendars?
There is a Cultural events calendar upon which other community events are layered to create the Community calendar.
Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:
The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events
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 Library calendar of events -> calendar link
The Senior Center calendar of events -> https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/month/39/2023-12
The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26
Franklin Public Library opens this Chronicle piece on "Libraries are evolving into community centers with multi-services"
"Books represent only a small part of what draws today’s patrons to public libraries, which have evolved into thriving community centers with multi-services."We're a passport agent, we do notary, we do technology help—if you don't know how to use your phone, you come in, you get technology assistance. We offer so much more than books,” says Liane Verville, the director of the Fall River Public Library.Greg Peverill-Conti’s day job is as an information services supervisor for the Wellesley Free Library. As co-creator of the nonprofit Literary Land Project, he’s visited libraries across the country, as well as most of those in Massachusetts, to explore, document, and promote what he sees as the vital and evolving role of public libraries in our communities."People have this idea that libraries are museums or books, that they're just these anachronistic institutions that aren't really relevant,” Peverill-Conti says. “And we saw again and again, that's not true."
Continue reading the article and watch the video which opens at the Franklin Public Library -> https://www.wcvb.com/article/public-library-free-massachusetts-boston-public-kitchen-outdoor-tools-household-equipment-plants/61162807
 |
| screengrab from Chronicle piece on Libraries are evolving |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)