Saturday, March 24, 2012
Turn the New FHS into a Reality
Dear Franklin Friend,
Happy Friday! In just four days, Franklin voters will have the power to turn the vision of a new Franklin High School into a reality. On Tuesday, March 27, we have an historic opportunity to vote YES in the town-wide debt exclusion vote to build a $104.5 million high school facility costing taxpayers only $47 million.
Mark your calendars now and set reminders on your phones to go to the polls at Franklin High School to place your YES vote. Every Single YES vote is important. Do NOT assume the debt exclusion will win approval without YOUR VOTE on March 27. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. School is in session and some parking spaces will be reserved for voters, but patience will be required. The best time to vote will be before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m. If you are not able to get to the polls Tuesday, you can vote in person at the Town Clerk's Office until noon, Monday, March 26 by absentee ballot.
Your YES vote is vital to bringing our town a brand new, fully equipped and furnished high school that will open in the fall of 2014. The new FHS will remove the high school off accreditation warning status and deliver a modern and safe academic environment dedicated to preparing students to compete in a technologically advanced, global economy. Students and teachers will have the chance to thrive in a school built for the 21stcentury that will feature enhanced academic, technological and extra-curricular offerings, including:
·The best possible learning environment with 20 percent more core academic space.The new FHS will have 82,770 square feet of classroom space – 13,700 square feet more than the current school. But, thanks to the model school design, the building's total footprint will be 6,000 square feet smaller, resulting in less travel time and more classroom time for students.
·21st century classrooms and science labs with integrated technology.The modern science labs in the new model FHS will be 1,440 square feet each and designed for maximum flexibility and safety. Each science lab space can be adjusted to meet any instructional style and any subject, including Environmental, Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
·Project Team Rooms adjacent to the Science Labs to facilitate learning.This dedicated space for students will allow them to engage in long-term science and research projects. The flexible design is conducive to general classroom instruction, as well as intensive teacher instruction.
·An 830-seat auditorium/theater with state-of-the-art acoustic and lighting capabilities. The theater will feature stadium-style seating, LED stage lights and a dedicated control room. The auditorium will also be a revenue-generator since it will be made available to outside groups. And, it will prolong the life of the auditorium at Horace Mann.
·A 17,700-square-foot gym and 6,000-square-foot indoor walking track. The Physical Education area will have direct access to the football stadium and multipurpose athletic field. Locker rooms will be overhauled and there will be bleacher seating for 1,192 fans. The overall size of the gym and walking track will be equivalent to the useable space in the existing Field House. Restrooms will be adjacent to ball fields for after-hours/weekend use.
·Dedicated, expanded space for our award-winning performing arts program. The allocated space will increase from 3,885 to 6,830 square feet and will feature three additional practice rooms, expanded ensemble and choral space, and new areas for the Drama Program and band and choral storage.
·Equal access for all special education students. The new FHS will include two elevators, handicapped accessible bathrooms, classroom audio amplification systems, counseling and therapy space, substantially separate and inclusion classrooms and resource rooms on each floor, and accessible lab benches.
For more information on the new design and specific program highlights, please see the New FHS Presentation to School Committee from February 28 here: http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/NewFHSPresentation%202-28-12.pdf
Franklin High has served our students, teachers and the community well for 40 years. In fact, the MSBA gave Franklin a higher reimbursement rate because of town's facility maintenance program. But the building is now suffering from four decades of heavy use, outdated systems buried in concrete, and antiquated educational spaces and furnishings.
There is a real need for a new facility and this is the right time to take advantage of a generous state reimbursement, and low borrowing and construction costs. Our model school has been built many times before and the construction budget has been professionally reviewed in detail. The total cost of the project and the cost to taxpayers are both capped.
You have the power to impact the educational opportunities and future success of the children in our community by voting YES on March 27.A YES vote means the project goes out to bid later this summer – and industry professionals expect those bids to reduce the taxpayer cost even further. A YES vote means construction begins this fall so the new FHS can open to students in the fall of 2014.
We are counting on your vote, and we will need every single vote to win! If you have last-minute questions, please visit our website at http://www.newfhs.com/or email us at voteyesforfhs@gmail.com. Please also "Like" and visit our Facebook page often for updates: http://www./facebook/newfhs.
Please forward this email to your friends, neighbors and social networks so that everyone can helpmake the new FHS vision a reality. Please urge your friends to vote YES on March 27. Make no mistake: There is a Real Need and this is the Right Time!
Thank you for your support. We'll see you at the polls on March 27!
Citizens for a New Franklin High School
Vote Yes for FHS on March 27! A Real Need. The Right Time.
Voices of Franklin: David Brennan - Buyer Beware
On March 27 Franklin taxpayers should Vote No to the proposed extravagant, wasteful, and expensive 104.5 million dollar high school.
Proponents say Franklin residents will only have to pay half of that — but the fact is the project hasn’t even been put out to bid yet.
The ballot question does not give any specific dollar amount it is asking voters to agree to. Here is how it reads:
Shall the Town of Franklin be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition two-and-one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to construct a new high school, to be located at 218 Oak Street, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto?
Proponents deny the meaning of the plain English of the ballot and say it doesn’t matter because it is only the binding resolution with specific numbers that is important.
Trouble is that the binding resolution also says in plain English:
…any project costs the Town of Franklin incurs in excess…shall be the sole responsibility of the Town of Franklin.
That is to say, the sole responsibility of the Franklin taxpayer who will pay the bill. The bottom line is that the state has wisely limited its exposure to cost overruns in this transaction while there is no similar protection for the Franklin taxpayer.
Some don’t care what the cost is and by their way of thinking the more it costs the better because (I take them at their word), they think it will raise their property values. It is these same big spending people who will be in charge of overseeing the project.
So “Buyer Beware” on this one. Personally I’m voting No. I won’t be giving a blank check to big spenders.
Proponents say Franklin residents will only have to pay half of that — but the fact is the project hasn’t even been put out to bid yet.
The ballot question does not give any specific dollar amount it is asking voters to agree to. Here is how it reads:
Shall the Town of Franklin be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition two-and-one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to construct a new high school, to be located at 218 Oak Street, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto?
Proponents deny the meaning of the plain English of the ballot and say it doesn’t matter because it is only the binding resolution with specific numbers that is important.
Trouble is that the binding resolution also says in plain English:
…any project costs the Town of Franklin incurs in excess…shall be the sole responsibility of the Town of Franklin.
That is to say, the sole responsibility of the Franklin taxpayer who will pay the bill. The bottom line is that the state has wisely limited its exposure to cost overruns in this transaction while there is no similar protection for the Franklin taxpayer.
Some don’t care what the cost is and by their way of thinking the more it costs the better because (I take them at their word), they think it will raise their property values. It is these same big spending people who will be in charge of overseeing the project.
So “Buyer Beware” on this one. Personally I’m voting No. I won’t be giving a blank check to big spenders.
Exciting Changes coming to Foxboro, Franklin, & North Attleboro
FROM
VISION
TO REALITY
EXCITING CHANGES COMING TO FOXBORO, FRANKLIN & NORTH ATTLEBORO!
Invensys Foxboro Branch
Thanks to the early success of the Campaign to build the Spier Family Outdoor Aquatic Center, we have broken ground!
A committed group of Y volunteers led by Jeff Dufficy, Greg Spier, Danielle Fish and Jay Barrows have raised $647,000 toward the project cost of $913,000, leaving a balance of $266,000 to raise in the next six weeks.
Included in this amount is a $250,000 Challenge Grant from Alex and Sonja Spier. For information on how you can help us meet the Spier Family Challenge, please contact Peter Waisgerber at peterw@hockymca.org.
Positive changes are also coming to Franklin and North Attleboro this April!
Bernon Family and North Attleboro Branches
Exciting changes are in store at our Bernon Family and North Attleboro Branches!
This April we have new state of the art equipment coming to both branches. This dynamic cardio and strength training equipment will be a tremendous enhancement to our health and wellness areas. A complete listing along with photos and videos of the equipment will be shared next week and leading up to installation.
Installation will take place during school vacation week. We ask for your patience and understanding as our installation occurs.
The Bernon Family Branch Health and Wellness Center will be closed for 2 days starting April 16th, 8:00am - April 18th, 5:15am.
Installation will take place during school vacation week. We ask for your patience and understanding as our installation occurs. The Bernon Family Branch Health and Wellness Center will be closed for 2 days starting April 16th, 8:00am - April 18th, 5:15am.
In addition to new equipment, the North Attleboro Branch will also be receiving a brand new wellness floor and HVAC system. The North Attleboro Health and Wellness Center will be closed starting April 16th, 8:00am - Sunday April 22nd.
Group Exercise classes and Family Events will continue at each branch during this time. In addition, please feel free to visit our Invensys Foxboro Branch Health and Wellness Center during your branch's construction.
I know you will be as excited as we are when all of these changes are complete and we are able to improve your Y experience. For additional information, please call Kimberly Cohen, Sr. Director of Health and Wellness at 508.772.1310.
Thank you for being part of our Y Family!
Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Hockomock Area YMCA
www.hockymca.org
facebook.com/hockomockareaymca| Click to view this email in a browser |
| Hockomock Area YMCA 300 Elmwood St North Attleboro, 02760 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy. |  |
Friday, March 23, 2012
New MassBudget Video Discusses Education Funding in Massachusetts
MassBudget has re-done their website and introduced a new report. The report is summarized with an 8 minute video. What has this got to do with Franklin?
Our school budget is half the overall Franklin budget. Over the past several years, the per pupil spending across the categories that the State watches has dropped below the state average. With the proposal for the new high school taking front and center stage for conversation in the last couple of weeks, how Franklin will budget for the schools next year has not been discussed. The "No" voters are worried about the maintenance budget when they probably should be more worried about the overall budget.
The new high school (if approved) may come with 6 more class rooms but if the budget continues to get cut, will there be enough teachers to fill those class rooms?
The point of this video and report from MassBudget is to highlight that the state funding formula that doesn't fully cover the increased costs in health and special ed. Franklin's school budget is directly affected by those factors. You can go back to any of the last several years of budgets and the cost drivers are exactly that.
What does this do to the 'average' student? It reduces their educational opportunity. Those under special education plans are covered with services that by law, Franklin must provide. So when the budget gets tight, the average student and the advanced students will suffer.
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Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108
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“This is fitting for his retirement”
The Milford Daily News reports on the retirement party of former Chief of Police Stephen Williams which was held Thursday night.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x221201081/A-hearty-sendoff-for-Franklin-Chief-Williams#ixzz1pvoXZTas
Williams retired in December after nearly 40 years with the Franklin Police Department, and eight of those years as chief.
The chief grew up in Franklin — he went through the public school system, got his associate’s degree at Dean College, and worked his way through the ranks in the Police Department, earning him the respect of law enforcement personnel in surrounding towns, in addition to his own.
“I worked with Steve a long time,” Bellingham Police Chief Gerard Daigle said. “He’s a great guy, and I wish him a great retirement.”
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x221201081/A-hearty-sendoff-for-Franklin-Chief-Williams#ixzz1pvoXZTas
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