Friday, April 10, 2026

School Committee gets update on Lifelong Learning at March 24 session (audio)

FM #1712 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1712 in the series. 


This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM. All 7 members of the Committee were present in Chambers. 


Quick recap:

  • Students scheduled for the pledge got to the meeting for the incorrect 6 PM start and will be rescheduled to another meeting

  • Superintendent's report

    • substitute nurses being looked for

    • Winter sports round up

    • earmark funded for middle school library (still needs to make through the budget cycle)

    • Innovation labs grant also awarded

    • FHS family science night April 9 from 5 to 8 pm

  • Lifelong learning update

    • For Solutions, the students to teacher ratios; K - 1 to 10, others grades are 1 to 12, 1 to 13

    • Footlighters program hiring for, trying to fulfill that position, complications in the hiring process had hindered the hiring to date. Still being worked

    • Over 900 adults taking part, a wide variety of offerings from sports to arts, etc.

    • Funding question, Lifelong learning is effectively another revolving fund, fee based and those fees can only be used within the program

  • Discussion/Action Items

    • A.   Student Opportunities Act Plan Vote

    • B. Endorsement of Request for Statement of Interest for Development of Strategic Plan

    • both passed by 7-0 votes

  • Subcommittee updates

  • Citizen comment - I stepped up to say thanks for the participation at the Q&A and to provide 2 future dates for their calendars

    • April 18, Favorite Poem Reading at the Library 

    • On May 2, the 3rd annual Jane Jacobs walk, meet at the TV studio walk about 1 mile or so, return to the studio. Discussions of housing, zoning, which are all budget related. It is a generally good discussion with insights shared

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1712-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-03-24-26/


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The Franklin TV video is available for replay - https://www.youtube.com/live/uQe3rLUq6e8?&t=87 


The agenda for this session - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03242026-2201 


My full set of notes taken during the meeting in one PDF -  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZuJSdiqLK1QBa9NdcjVsk5KVX7AH2MX3/view?usp=drive_link 


Photo album of the slides presented for Lifelong Learning

https://photos.app.goo.gl/adaJ3sZeYK5ih5t28 



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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!

------------------


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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What's happening in Franklin, MA: Friday, April 10, 2026 ???

Friday, April 10

10:00am Knitting Group (Franklin Public Library)

1:00pm Thrifty Threads (Franklin Federated Church)

7:30pm The Prom (Dean College Main Stage Theater)


Library & Senior Center events
Library & Senior Center events

For additional details on Library events -> 
For additional details on Senior Center events ->   

Note: Senior Center checking on why their events are suddenly being shown as "All Day". You can use the monthly newsletter for specific program/event times


***  Town Meetings today   ***



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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

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The LiveARTS String Quartet returns to Franklin to perform a program of beloved classical masterworks - May 17

The Franklin-based LiveARTS String Quartet is pleased to announce that it will appear in concert on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 3:00 at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central St. in Franklin. Tickets may be purchased at liveartsstringquartet.org. A sold-out house is anticipated, so patrons are encouraged to reserve their tickets early to be guaranteed a seat. The program will include masterworks by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Schumann.

Founded in 2009 by violist Donald Krishnaswami, the LiveARTS String Quartet features some of the Boston area's finest professional string players. 

The members of the Quartet include Gregory Vitale and Katherine Winterstein, violins, Donald Krishnaswami, viola, and Jan Müller-Szeraws, cello. The Quartet is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and by donations from individuals and local businesses.

Born of Franklin’s popular LiveARTS concert series, the group served as the organization's string quartet-in-residence from 2009 until LiveARTS' dissolution in 2025. For twenty-five years, LiveARTS brought world-class classical chamber music performances to the Franklin community. Now operating independently, the LiveARTS String Quartet is working to bring a regular season of exceptional live performances to audiences in Franklin and other southwestern suburbs of Boston, maintaining the high artistic standards established during its time with LiveARTS.

Join the LiveARTS String Quartet in concert on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 3:00 PM at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central Street, Franklin. Tickets may be purchased at liveartsstringquartet.org.

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Read your Favorite Poem at the Franklin Public Library, Saturday, April 18

You can read your Favorite Poem at the Franklin Public Library, Saturday, April 18 at 1:30 PM


Come celebrate National Poetry Month at the Franklin Public Library with a Favorite Poem Reading!


Joy Harjo (US Poet Lauriat from 2019 - 2022)


“When I began to listen to poetry, it’s when I began to listen to the stones, and I began to listen to what the clouds had to say, and I began to listen to others. And I think, most importantly for all of us, then you begin to learn to listen to the soul, the soul of yourself in here, which is also the soul of everyone else.”


Favorite Poem Reading hosted by Steve Sherlock 


Choose a favorite published poem that you have long treasured or recently discovered. Share it by reading it to those gathered for this event.


Use the form to sign up to read your favorite poem -> 

https://forms.gle/YvfTLzxTYYtQDDDE6 



Note: Poems may not be ones you or family members, or friends have written.  


Limit: Five minutes reading time.









Note: We’ll be in the Friends Room, in the ‘new’ section of the building. The Book Sale is running in the other section.


Note: The audio of the readings will be recorded for future broadcast by Franklin Public Radio. You can choose to have your reading part of the recording or not.


Download the flyer as a reminder or to share
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Finance Committee closes out 16+ hours of budget hearings with proposed adjustments (video)

The Franklin Finance Committee completed a record setting set of 4 budget hearings covering every line item in the FY 2027 budget in almost 17 hours over 4 nights. 

The start of this last session was delayed by about 20 minutes to fix the Zoom link and get it reposted for the agenda, calendar, and appropriate social channels.

Franklin TV video is available for replay - https://www.youtube.com/live/3oIsBHQ73Ts?&t=1170



Dept of Arts, Culture & Creative Economy metrics as referenced by Cory Shea during the budget hearing


Quick recap:
  • This session was time well spent by the Committee to review the potential adjustments to the budget and come to a consensus on them. They started with a set of goals and a process to work through the listing of the items for discussion based upon what had occurred over the prior three nights.
  • They wanted to minimize use of free cash. The end proposal recommends 1.8M of free cash rather than $2M
  • They wanted to move some of the regular recurring 'capital items' to the ops budget where they belong. They took a step in that direction with less than $100K of police gear putting that in the Ops budget. Next cycle those items won't need to come before the Capital budget as a request
  • They made a strategic investment in a couple of positions. One already in the budget for a part time clerk in the Assessors office, and additional hybrid inspector/admin help for the Building Commissioner's team. This should help the assessors and inspectors to do the work they need to do while providing some additional administrative help to help the work flow and improve our permit and tax base (both revenue generators)
  • They proposed reducing the Facilities expense budget
  • They confirmed the need for restoration of the Deputy Town Administrator and the School Resource officers (SROs)
  • They will request that the Schools look as possibly using more of their revolving funds to help balance their budget and in turn free up more free cash on the Town side to not be used for the overall budget
  • The complete set of the adjustments will be written up, presented by the FinCom to the Town Council and Joint Budget Subcommittee. The line item adjustments will be made and incorporate some other updates for the Town Administrator to issue a revised budget proposal before the Council gets to finalize their vote at the June 10th meeting. It may not be ready for the May 20-21 Council budget hearings, the key item that still might be outstanding before those hearings is the FY 2027 health costs as the annual enrollment completes April 30
last view of the working doc used in the FinCom session
last view of the working doc used in the FinCom session


FinCom set up in the 3rd floor training room
FinCom set up in the 3rd floor training room


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Catching UP: Town Council Quarterbacking - April 1 session (audio)

FM #1711 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1711 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares our “Town Council Quarterbacking” with Town Councilor Max Morrongiello. We had our conversation in person at the Franklin TV & Radio Studios on Thursday, April 2, 2026. Our conversation condensed the Town Council meeting of Wednesday, April 1, 2026.


We focus on two questions:

  • ok, what just happened? 

  • What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?

We cover the following key topics

  • Multiple citizen comments; topics covered = Bellingham battery storage, PorchFest, Quatro Eroi celebration events, & School Committee update

  • Councilor comments

  • Recognition of Chloe Bowser, her essay was one of 12 selected for the commissioning of the new submarine USS Massachusetts 

  • 3 public hearings opened together for the MBTA zoning bylaw changes required to bring us to full compliance. Of note, to come into compliance while we did tweak our zoning to fit the requirements, we actually reduced the density that was already permitted for that area. All three proposals after clarification questions were answered moved to a second reading (likely April 15)

  • 1 public hearing on the technical changes to the current Crossing Neighborhood District. There were multiple items underway and as the zoning changed were being updated to the town code discrepancy were noted; some sections of a table were left out, some had been updated incorrectly. The changes were approved to move to second reading (also likely for April 15)

  • Water & sewer extension approved for an area of Union St (actually to allow the new 5 residence development approved for part of the blueberry farm land) to update the water infrastructure to enable the extension. Funding to be provided by the developer

  • Council entered into Executive Session for bargaining not to return to open meeting


The conversation runs about 15 minutes. Let’s listen in

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1711-town-council-quarterbacking-april-1-session-04-02-26/

--------------


The Franklin TV video is available for replay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N84cGZK_Ua4 


The agenda doc - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04012026-2229  


My full set of notes in one PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jwviXzblwRVMwA3wkzuZcJlRE3tyZmsI/view?usp=drive_link 


--------------


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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