Twenty-two students were honored for academic achievement at the August 24 Board of Education meeting. Honorees included

• students who are in the FHS Principal’s 30+ Club for scoring a 30 on one or more sections of the ACT.

• students who received AP Score honors for earning a 3, 4, or 5 on one or more AP exams.

• students who earned the highest possible score on an Ohio state test.

Students honored include Jana Alhafi, Donaven Butler, Cooper Cronk, Cayden Hicks, Brady Jordan, Elijah Koss, Isabella Manis, Zoey Wilson, Bryley Wulff, Tyler Denison-Drake, Donovan Schuyler, Easton Currin, Hunter Cook, Kane Heys, Hunter Kemper, Michael Lamb, Macy Wagers, Aria Vest, Adam Moyer, Aspen Kesling, Elaine McCarty, and Robert McKinney.

Sinclair Community College recently provided a summary of our 2025-26 partnership. Last school year, 109 FHS students earned 1145 credit hours, saving families $227,031 in tuition fees. FCS is proud to offer students the opportunity to take college-level courses at no cost to them.  

The top-5 most popular classes were

A 2022 student leadership project has grown into a school-wide incentive program at Franklin High School.

CatDash, an in-school delivery service launched in 2023, allows students to trade good behavior points for their favorite snacks, delivered straight to their classrooms during ROAR periods on Tuesday and Thursdays.

The idea was sparked when advisor Karin Back took a group of students to the Anthony Muñoz Leadership Seminar in 2022. Tasked with creating a community-impact project, the team focused on an issue close to home: hungry students!

"We thought it would be fun and easy to deliver to students during ROAR just like DoorDash, but we came up with CatDash," Back said.

How CatDash Works: Through the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Rewards platform, students earn points by demonstrating attendance and positive behaviors within the "ROAR Pride Behavior Matrix," which focuses on Respect, Ownership, Attitude, and Responsibility.

Dashers are students who have applied or been referred to Back. A variety of snacks is available, with Flamin' Hot Cheetos currently taking the top spot. Back said seasonal treats like pumpkin brownies and Rice Krispy treats are sometimes available. A bag of chips costs a student 75 points.

Last school year, CatDash delivered over 3,000 items to students. Students may also redeem points for items at the building’s Pride Store.

Operating CatDash requires ongoing financial support; Back said she aims to raise about $1,200 annually, with funds coming from community backing and student-led events. The program received a SPARK grant, funds from Bickle Insurance, and donations from other corporate sponsors. Student fundraisers like dodgeball tournaments and the "Chuck-a-Duck" contest also help cover inventory costs.

Franklin City Schools has received a $15,000 grant from Middletown Community Foundation to support the district's initiative to develop future-ready graduates. Through this multi-faceted plan, FCS is strengthening the quality, rigor, and accessibility of advanced coursework and college-and-career readiness opportunities for our high school students.

This grant will help fund these efforts to ensure each Franklin High School graduate has a clear pathway and plan for post-secondary success. The initiative also aims to support students by equipping each with the skills, resources, and credentials needed to successfully implement their post-secondary goals. In this way, FCS is defining high school success more broadly than a simple graduation rate measure.

We are incredibly appreciative of the MCF's support and belief in this mission and believe this funding will help us continue to improve student outcomes.

Franklin High School inducted six members into the FHS Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 12. They joined the 128 members inducted in prior years. 2026 inductees include Kenny Haney, Jr. (Class of 1978); Jake Long (Class of 1996); Steve Woods (Class of 1980); Katie Kinser; Chelsea Espinosa (Class of 2013); and Mike Janeway (Class of 1972).

You are invited to read about their extensive accomplishments:

HOF committee members include Steve Peters, Rick Chamberlain, Lori Raleigh, Andy Fleming, Marvin Sands, Bob Knipper, Jeff Kirby, Amy Miller, and Susan Hollon.

Nominations are accepted year-round. The nomination form is available online here: https://ow.ly/6uE250WYXKz

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) issued district report cards for the 2025-26 school year. Franklin City Schools earned 3 stars, indicating that we are meeting state standards. Our 3-star rating puts us on track with district objectives.

Assistant superintendent Jim McFarland presented an anaylsis of the report card results to the Board of Education on September 28. You may access the full presentation here. 

McFarland noted these highlights: 

Learn more about report cards and see details at the ODEW website.

The Franklin City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to place a 1.25% earned income tax on the November 3 ballot. If the levy passes, the district will also roll back one mill of property taxes, which will provide savings to homeowners. 

With the passage of the levy, the district's financial assumptions include:

Dr. Michael Sander, superintendent of schools, said “We understand that our community’s senior citizens are facing higher property taxes without a corresponding rise in their incomes. This tax issue should help seniors in two ways—by not taxing retirement income AND actually reducing property taxes—while at the same time raising funds that the district needs desperately."

Sander also noted, “The district managed our finances to make the new money from the 2014 levy last for 12 years, but we’re looking at a negative cash balance for fiscal year 2029.” Since the ’22-’23 school year, FCS has cut a cumulative $11,726,500. With the failure of recent levies, the district reduced expenses by an additional $3.15 million for 2026-2027. Reductions and impacts to services and programs for our students have included reducing busing to state minimums, increasing classroom sizes and extracurricular participation fees, and eliminating all-day kindergarten. 2026-2027 cuts included a reduction in employees and contracted personnel and delaying curriculum updates." 

Sander said, “It’s not an easy decision to ask our residents for additional monies, but unfortunately, Ohio’s school funding system relies heavily on local taxpayers. An added blow is that the amount of money the district received this past year from the State of Ohio was $2.2 million less than the previous year and is expected to be about $1.5 million less next year." 

The August 24 edition of The Ohio Superintendent Association’s (BASA) weekly newsletter included an article that noted “The Fair School Funding Workgroup issued a press release last week detailing the fact that Ohio is expected to cover a smaller share of the cost calculated by its public school funding formula that [sic] at any point in more than two decades. The average statewide share of public-school funding via the formula’s base costs is estimated to be at 32% for FY 27.” The full press release is available here. 

The article clearly explains the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP), which the Ohio House passed in 2020 by a wide 87 to 9 margin. The FSFP was to be phased in over six years.

Per their website, “The Ohio Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) is an inputs-based funding model developed by Ohio educators using district spending data, research, best practices and thoroughly vetted professional judgment to determine the true cost of educating a child in Ohio, ensuring all students receive a high-quality, equitable education.” Visit their website: https://www.fairschoolfundingplan.com/

Despite the wide, bipartisan support, the FSFP has not been fully funded in the 2026-2027 budget biennium (the State of Ohio adopts an operating budget every other year), leaving a shortfall between what districts had expected and what they received.

What does this mean for Ohio’s public schools and for Ohio taxpayers? School districts continue to struggle to secure adequate state funding, which is anticipated to result in an increase in districts having property tax or income tax issues on the ballot.

If you have questions about Ohio’s school funding or about Franklin City Schools’ financial picture, please consider attending one of the two town hall meetings the district has scheduled for this fall: Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. and Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. Both will be in the Franklin High School Commons.

Who doesn’t love new shoes? Thanks to a local initiative, “Footprints for Shoe Drive,” 369 Franklin Intermediate School (FIS) students received new athletic shoes on Wed., Sept. 2. 

In 2024-25, area residents Mary Loose and Bob Glavin approached FIS staff to ask how their congregation, St. Mary of the Assumption, could best support local children. Angela Cook, FIS counselor, and FIS principal Kim Irgens noted that footwear was a critical, unmet necessity. Loose and Glavin created the Footprints for Shoe Drive, which also involves friends of the parishioners and St. Vincent DePaul. 

More than 40 volunteers, including members of the Franklin fire and police departments, assisted with fitting and distribution. Using the previous year’s data, Cook estimated the sizes needed, and the volunteers purchased the shoes.

Community members or organizations interested in supporting future drives or donating may contact Cook at acook@franklincityschools.com.

"We are beyond grateful for all the donations, volunteers, and hard work of everyone involved," Cook said, and added, "Seeing the joy on the faces of our students as they receive new shoes is incredibly rewarding. Having a pair of shoes that fit properly and are in good condition is important.”