Superintendent

I’d like to call attention to a few updates and highlights, and share some of the difficult changes we’ve had to make due to the levy failures in November and May. 

New staff/major changes: Quite a few employees retired at the end of ‘24-’25, so you’ll see both brand new faces and familiar faces in new positions this year. Please welcome these folks to our Wildcat Family!

• Central Office: Jim McFarland, assistant superintendent; Suzanne Longworth, director of student services; Leah Williams, gifted services coordinator.
• Technology: Leigh Anne Burnett, Educational Technologist.
• FHS: Marla Davis, Paige Davies, and Jacob Moore (math); Valerie Heflin (ELA); Jordan Taylor (PE and health); Robert Knipper (director of extracurricular activities). 
• FJHS: Nathan Davis, Jaime Blair, and Devanie Walters (intervention specialists); Alicia Horvath (math); Sarah Cooper and Emily Miller (ELA). 
• Intermediate: Landen Brown (dean of students); Emma Labarowski (speech); Corey Tuck (Extended Resource Classroom); Anna Sears (math) and Mackenzie Smith (ELA).
• Schenck: Jim Grombacher, lead teacher; Michelle Rimkus (ERC).
• Elementary level: Ashley Cook (speech); Alexandra Clinton (counselor).

Summer projects: Custodians have worked hard to clean our buildings from top to bottom in order to prepare to welcome back students and staff. Our groundskeeping crew worked hard to make sure all building grounds look fantastic and are ready for back to school. Our maintenance staff completed projects in each building, and made sure buildings have everything they need to make the ‘25-’26 school year safe for students and staff.  

• Schenck: Removal of unsafe playground equipment, installation of wheelchair ramp, and adding mulch on the playground and at the building entrance.  
• Gerke: Parking lot resealing and stripping, removal of unsafe playground equipment, and adding mulch on the playground and at the building entrance. 
• Hunter: Removal of unsafe playground equipment and adding mulch on the playground and at the building entrance. 
• Intermediate: New playground (including new equipment, a larger footprint, and playground mulch), updating all interior lighting (more energy efficient), and painting hallways in building A and B. The parking lot has been repaired and resealed.
• FJHS: Updating first floor bathrooms, updating all interior lighting (more energy efficient), updating HVAC in the lobby area (actually using materials from Hampton Bennett and Pennyroyal), adding mulch at the building entrance, and working with the City of Franklin to improve safety on 4th Street prior to the start of school. 
• FHS: Completion of the west lot project, including parking, practice field, and fencing along 6th St., Anderson St., and 7th St., and completion of the roundabout to align with the front parking lot (student lot) and Community Park along 6th St.
• Transportation Department: We purchased a new van. 

Early College Academy: The 2025 graduating class included 20 seniors who were also the first FHS grads of Miami University’s Early College Academy; they graduated with both their high school diploma and an associate's degree from Miami University Regionals. The Early College Academy allowed these students to earn their degree at no cost to themselves. 

Town Hall meetings: This year, the district is refreshing its communications strategy so we hear more input and feedback from you. One addition is regular town hall meetings where you can ask questions of the district admins and board members. Watch ParentSquare, our website, and social media for dates.

Finance Fridays: This spring, the district started posting “Finance Fridays” on our district social media. I urge you to follow our social media accounts to see these posts, as well as all of the other information and pictures we post. The August 8 Finance Fridays concerned Ohio's EdChoice vouchers, which have been increasingly in the news this year. Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCitySchools and you can find us on Instagram at fcswildcatpride.

Finances/Levy: We know this year will be challenging for many of our families; the failure of the levy in May meant the board had to make difficult decisions about cutting expenses: reducing busing to state minimums; increasing classroom and pay-to-participate fees; and eliminating full-day kindergarten. We were also able to make only minimal improvements to the Intermediate Building and we expect that we’ll have larger class sizes than we prefer. Please know that these were difficult decisions and that we know they have created hardships for many families. Cutting expenses is difficult, and we’ve made every attempt to minimize disruption to classroom learning.

The district’s budget projections were based on flat funding from the State of Ohio, however, the state’s budget actually gives us $1 million LESS over the next two years. Without additional revenue, the district is expected to end the next fiscal year (2026-27) with a negative cash balance. 

To avoid that, the board of education has placed an issue on the November 4 ballot: a 1% income tax. Quite a few Ohio districts have an income tax, although this is a first time for us. We’re sensitive to the pressure that people are feeling around property taxes and hope that an income tax will enjoy broader support. Please watch our website and social media for additional information about this issue.  

Based on our financial position, families and students will see the following changes from previous years:

• Busing has been reduced to state minimums with no busing for high school students; only students in grades K-8 who live beyond a two-mile radius (straight line, not driving distance) of their building will be bused. Specific questions about this can be directed to the transportation department at 937.743.8670.
• Class fees have been updated to reflect actual costs. (See the sheet for K-8 fees; high school fees depend on the classes they are taking.) Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch who have filled out the necessary paperwork will still pay reduced fees. 
• Pay-to-participate fees:
• Sports fees have increased to $350/sport for high school and $250/sport for junior high; there are no family caps. Please note: These rates would only apply for the ‘25-’26 school year due to support from the general fund. After the ‘25-’26 school year, fees will increase to reflect actual costs, estimated at $900 per high school activity, $600 per junior high activity; there would be no individual or family cap.
• Drama fees are $75 per production for cast and crew; there is no fee for the musical’s pit orchestra.
• Club fees remain at $15 each.
• Building start/end times:
• FHS and FJHS: 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m; 
• Franklin Intermediate, Hunter, and Gerke: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Schenck: AM kindergarten: 8:40 a.m. to 11:25 a.m.; PM kindergarten: 12:55 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.
• Kindergarten: Will be a half-day only and will cover math and language arts; no specials will be offered.
• The YMCA before and after school program will be housed only at Schenck. 
• Field trips: Since the district is on a very tight budget, field trips will be extremely limited.
• Administrative and personnel changes:
• Schenck Elementary will have a lead teacher rather than a principal. Central Office administrators will take on additional duties at Schenck to help with reduction of administration, i.e., student discipline, IEP meetings and teacher evaluation.
• Franklin Intermediate will have a dean of students rather than an assistant principal. Central Office administrators will take on additional duties at the Intermediate building to help with reduction of administration, i.e., student discipline, IEP meetings and teacher evaluation.
• The assistant treasurer was not backfilled.
• The Director of Educational Technology was replaced by an Educational Technologist. This is the reduction of an administrative position and a reduction in the number of contract days from 260 to 185. 
• Intervention Specialists at the high school and junior high were not replaced.
• Printed newsletter. The quarterly printed newsletter that was mailed to all district residents will be replaced with an electronic newsletter. 

Many items will not change; we want highlight these specifically: 

• We are unwavering in our commitment to providing an excellent education and ample extracurricular opportunities for every one of our students.
• Free breakfast and lunch will be available to students in grades 1-12.
• The elementary building configuration stays the same.
• Early College Academy through Miami University Regionals will still be offered; however, this is an expensive program and will be evaluated at the end of the school year.
• College Credit Plus courses will still be offered.
• The district will still provide busing to and from both the YMCA before and after school program at Schenck and Hunter SafeCare to the classroom buildings. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding with the difficult choices we have had to make to balance our budget.

And, as always, we appreciate and welcome your partnership and involvement as we educate the students of our community. If you’re wondering how to get involved, here are a few ideas: read with your children and ask about their classes; be a room parent; attend a school board meeting; volunteer with the elementary PTO; join a booster group; and attend your child’s events and performances. 

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