Wildcat families:
We’ve wrapped up another school year; congratulations to the Class of 2026! They received their diplomas on May 17 at UD Arena. If you couldn’t attend and would like to see the ceremony, it is available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/LAppElBud6I
The class included our second cohort of students who graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree from Miami Regionals through the Early College Academy. We are proud to be a part of this partnership which saves families thousands of dollars in tuition and gives students a head start. Our fourth cohort of ECA students (nine rising juniors) begins this fall.
The Board of Education recently adopted updated mission and vision statements; please see the next article for details about those.
Franklin City Schools views education as a partnership among students, families, and the community at large. We could not do this without you. We have noted several partnerships later in this newsletter.
If you have questions or concerns about Franklin City Schools, don’t hesitate to contact me at (937) 746-1699 or msander@franklincityschools.com.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael D. Sander, Superintendent
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On March 23, the Franklin City Schools Board of Education adopted new mission and vision statements.
Mission: Together, proudly educating the future of Franklin.
The Board also adopted The Wildcat Pride Goal and The Wildcat Pride Objectives based on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s Ohio State Report Card star ratings.
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By 2032, Franklin City Schools will be a state-recognized 4-Star district where EVERY Wildcat thrives. We will be the place where:
— Academic excellence is the standard.
— Families, educators, and community partners stand together, modeling Wildcat pride.
— Safe, innovative schools are provided.
— Gaps narrow, attendance matters, and every student is actively engaged.
— Students are prepared to lead in a rapidly changing and diverse world.
— Every student graduates ready for their future.
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The Franklin Board of Education honored students at board meetings during the second semester.
May: Killian Kinner was honored for earning first place in the Apprentice Category at the Ohio Braille Challenge! His outstanding scores qualified him to advance to the International Braille Challenge in Los Angeles in June. He also received Hunter Elementary’s Irelynn Cunningham award.
April: Franklin Junior High students were honored for earning 10 quarters of straight A’s. Students honored were Jase Bowermaster, Bryce Donisi, Bailey Gordon, Quinn Smallwood, and Dane Timler.
February: Franklin Junior High and Intermediate students were honored for earning 10 quarters of straight A’s: Students honored were Brooklyn Crase, Landon Shumaker, Reese Centers, Audrey Allen, Jonathan Bethel, Paislee Lamb, and Stone Smith.
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The second group of ROAR champions was recognized at recent board meetings.
Students honored were Connor Ramsey (FHS), Kennedy Carmack (FJHS), Macy Wagers (Intermediate), Brynn Donisi (Hunter), Camden Penwell (Gerke), Samara Garcia Camacho (Schenck), and Scarlett Lang (Schenck).
ROAR Champions were selected by their buildings for consistently embodying the district's core Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) characteristics: Respect, Ownership, Attitude, and Responsibility.
While the district has honored hundreds of students since establishing the Student Achievement Award in 2001, previous honors have traditionally focused on academic metrics, such as high test scores or maintaining straight A’s. The Student Achievement Committee recently expanded the criteria to recognize students who excel in "future-ready skills."
The Board will recognize new ROAR Champions quarterly to highlight the positive contributions students make as they grow into successful citizens.
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Franklin Preschool, located at Schenck Elementary, has again earned the highest quality rating from the State of Ohio through Ohio’s Step Up To Quality program, receiving a prestigious Gold Rating for excellence in early childhood education. The preschool has earned the highest possible rating for nine straight years.
Step Up To Quality, Ohio’s statewide quality rating and improvement system, recognizes preschool and childcare programs that meet standards above and beyond basic licensing requirements. To earn a Gold Rating, programs must show a strong commitment to high-quality teaching practices, staff professional development, family engagement, and continuous improvement.
Franklin Preschool, established in 2002, is dedicated to creating a safe, engaging, and supportive learning environment to help prepare young learners for future academic success. Gold-rated programs meet rigorous standards that promote early learning and kindergarten readiness.
The preschool operates two morning and two afternoon sessions, with 16 in each class for a total of 64 students. Half are typical students and half are children with special needs.
Franklin City Schools’ leadership and preschool staff are proud to offer a program that provides our youngest learners with exceptional learning opportunities.
Preschool staff are pictured here: Jessica Lacy, Meg Byrge, Sarah Penwell, Julie Ratliff and Honey, Debbie Forward, Jesika Zellers, and Courtney Dunn.
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Franklin High School students can now complete their driver-education training without leaving campus, thanks to a partnership with B-SAFE Driving Education. B-SAFE offers classes at Carlisle and Trenton locations and now has partnerships with several high schools, including Franklin, to hold training at high school campuses. There is no cost to the district for this program.
Ohio requires teens to complete 24 hours of in-class instruction and 8 hours of in-car instruction. Read more at our district blog: https://ow.ly/56VT50Z9pJ0
Students pictured are from the June 2026 class.
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The ninth annual Wildcat Olympics was held on a gorgeous May morning. The event brings the district’s students with specialized needs together for a parade, field events, and lunch at the stadium.
Cheering families, friends, and much of the entire student body watched from the stands or lined the track as staff, community members, and FHS students assisted with events. Classes paraded around the track to the Olympic theme before competing in a 100-yard dash, obstacle course, and long jump.
Wildcat Olympics, brainchild of teacher Abby Smallwood, is designed to celebrate students, families, and staff.
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Edwards taught for 22 years, four at Carlisle and 18 at Franklin, teaching high school English for all but two of those; she took 10 years off between to be home with their daughters.
Edwards said, “The best part of teaching, the most miraculous part, is watching young people grow from having little confidence or faith in themselves to finding their worth and their voice. Those moments transcend subject matter or test scores. Cultivating those moments is my main purpose.”
She said she doesn’t have a particular memorable moment from teaching but instead has “a recurring experience. Nothing amazes me more than former students telling me something I once said in class that changed their perspective about themselves or the world. Most of the time, I have no memory of what I had said, but the fact that it stayed with them reinforces how careful we must be when speaking to young people. They may not act like it, but they absorb everything.”
Edwards, who grew up in Centerville with her grandparents, earned her degrees at Wright State University: A bachelor's in Secondary English Education and a master’s in education.
She said that being named a Project Excellence winner “has been a meaningful and humbling surprise for me because it came from my colleagues, whom I love and respect. We may teach our classes alone in our rooms, but our strength, passion, and creativity come from our professional relationships. This important work is simply unsustainable without the support of our peers.” She added, “I so appreciate the support of my administrators, co-workers, friends, and family. They are all blessings to me.”
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Madison Lambdin has been teaching for two years, both at Franklin. She’s an intervention specialist and teaches in an extended resource classroom at Gerke for first and second grade.
She’s a graduate of Milford High School and earned her bachelor’s in special education (K-12, mild-moderate and moderate intensive) from Miami University, Oxford.
She said that what she enjoys most about teaching is “seeing growth in each of my students. Working in a small setting allows me to build strong connections with each of my students and see the improvement that they make in academic and functional skills. Even when growth is small, it means so much to me to see how much they improve.”
Lambdin noted how much she enjoys the Wildcat Olympics. “The Wildcat Olympics allow students in the extended resource classrooms across the district to participate in various activities and sporting events. It is so special to see students and staff from all over the district come together and support our students. Seeing the joy on my students’ faces as they participate in events and get recognized on the podium is so heartwarming. It is a great way to end the year with my students.
She added, “I am so honored to be named a Project Excellence winner. To be recognized in a profession that is built on passion, patience and purpose means more to me than I can fully express. I have learned a lot over the past two years, and I am excited to continue to grow as an educator.”
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Student talent from grades 1-12 was showcased at the District Art Show in May.
Franklin Junior High also created digital art projects. You may view those here.
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Franklin City Schools is one of hundreds of Ohio districts in a lawsuit challenging the state’s voucher program ( see more information). On June 24, 2025, Franklin County judge Jaiza Page ruled Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program unconstitutional on 3 of 5 counts; she stayed the decision, meaning that vouchers could continue while the lawsuit goes through appeals.
The 10th District Court of Appeals heard arguments on May 12, 2026. An article from the Statehouse News Bureau describes the hearing.
Vouchers have been found unconstitutional in other states including Utah, Nevada, Kentucky, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
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FAIR SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN WAS ABANDONED
Per Policy Matters Ohio, "the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) was based on the actual cost of educating every student. It would have provided an additional $3 billion to Ohio school districts over the biennium." The bipartisan plan was essentially adandoned and the additional amount of funding to Ohio's public schools over the biennium (the State of Ohio's operatiing budget is passed every two years) is $282 million.
OHIO'S PROPERTY TAX CRISIS
The Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) is a private, not-for-profit organization that serves superintendents and other administrators throughout Ohio. Their recent newsletter included an article by Christopher S. Mohr, MBA, RSBA, CGFM President, K-12 Business Consulting, Inc., titled "Who’s To Blame for The Property Tax Crisis?"
An excerpt: "Ohio is currently grappling with a property tax crisis that represents more than a mere fiscal fluctuation; it is an existential threat to local self-governance and the long-term stability of our public schools. …. This crisis is the direct consequence of intentional state-level policy choices that have systematically shifted the state’s share of funding essential services onto the individual homeowner." (Emphasis added.)
"In 1975, the property tax burden was more equitably distributed, with businesses contributing 53.9% of the total and residential or agricultural owners contributing 46.1%. By 2023 …. the business share has plummeted to 32.5%, while the residential and agricultural share has surged to 67.5%."
What does this mean for Franklin City Schools? FCS is receiving approximately $1.8 million fewer dollars from the state of Ohio this school year than last, an 11% decrease. Over the next 5 years, FCS will receive a total of about $15 million fewer dollars.
In addition, due to new property tax laws, the state cut our local revenue projections over the next five years and the district will receive approximately $4.5 million fewer dollars. In total, the district will see approximately $20 million fewer dollars over the next five years.
This means the district is forced to make tough choices that may include reducing some necessary items. FCS tries to provide the best education, services, and programs to our community and students with the resources it receives.
FINANCE FRIDAYS
Every few weeks, the district posts a “Finance Fridays” blurb on our district social media. We urge you to follow our social media accounts to see these posts, as well as the other information and pictures we post.
Instagram: fcswildcatpride
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New website launches this summer: The district is launching a new website this summer; it’s projected to go live in late July. Other than a small charge for migrating our current website’s content, the cost to the district is a wash between the old and new sites. The new site will be hosted by SmartSites, which is ParentSquare's website platform. The website address will not change: franklincityschools.com.
Senior passes: Senior citizens (age 62+) who live in the Franklin City School district may pick up a pass at the District Welcome Center (754 E. 4th St.) that will allow them to attend school-sponsored activities at no charge. The pass never expires and is good for any home game (excluding tournaments) and high school plays. Residents should take their driver’s license with them to confirm their address.
Hall of Fame: If you would like to nominate someone for the Hall of Fame, please use this form. Nominations are accepted year round.
HOF committee members include Steve Peters, Rick Chamberlain, Lori Raleigh, Andy Fleming, Marvin Sands, Bob Knipper, Jeff Kirby, Brad Childers, Amy Miller, and Susan Hollon. Nominations are accepted year-round.
Our district newsletter format has changed: The district published and mailed a printed newsletter to district residents four times/year starting in 2015. We have moved to this electronic format for several reasons:
- The newsletter was one-way communication. We want to hear from the community; using an electronic format, we can post the newsletter on our district Facebook page and website and embedded links can direct you to other articles and information. It will also allow you to provide feedback via communications@franklincityschools.com
- The hard-copy newsletter wasn’t translatable for our ELL families.
- An electronic newsletter is much less expensive and can be shared more widely.
- We can embed links to stories, pictures, and videos.
School Board Meetings: As always, school board meetings are open to the public and the board welcomes you. Every board meeting includes time for public comments; for legal purposes, you are asked to state your name and address before you speak. The board meeting schedule is on our website and any changes are posted on the green banner on the home page. The board meeting agenda is posted by 3 p.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting; you may also look at previous meeting agendas and read minutes from previous board meetings.
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Franklin City Schools is fortunate to have partnerships with a myriad of businesses and organizations who support our district and students. The board of education recently recognized several partners.
Orioles: Members of Franklin-based Orioles Nest #263 recently donated many thousands of dollars to Franklin City Schools to cover student fees. The Orioles on hand to present the check at a Board of Education meeting were Jonathan and Sara Milligan and Doug Adams.
Franklin First United Methodist Church: Jim Rhodes presented a Community Partnership Award to Pastor Laura Saunders. Over the past 11 years and counting, Franklin First has provided over 41,000 weekend kindness/food bags to students (125 students/year totaling 3,740 bags/year). Franklin First has provided after-school 1:1 tutoring for more than eight years, with participating students showing growth in reading skills. The church has donated clothing to students and provided meals to staff during conference nights, holiday breakfasts, and treats for teacher appreciation.
Grace Point Fellowship: Jeremy Ward presented a Community Partnership Award to Grace Point Fellowship and noted that their two-year partnership with Hunter Elementary has included Grace Point assisting with Title family events, providing meals for staff during parent-teacher conferences, involvement with teacher appreciation week, and ROAR award events. He thanked them for their collaboration and being a great community resource.
Shared Harvest: Kim Irgens presented a Community Partnership award to Shared Harvest for their support in creating a food pantry at Franklin Intermediate. The pantry hosted 33 parent shopping visits and provided 7560 pounds of food and 481 backpacks of food.
Our district is also a partner TO the community. A recent example is the cheerleading squad adding energy and excitement to the grand opening of the new Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken restaurant.
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If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach us at communications@franklincityschools.com.
Please follow us on Facebook, on Instagram at fcswildcatpride, and stop by our website: www.franklincityschools.com. |
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