School Redistricting Forums, Plans Announced

– The Franklin Public School District invites Franklin residents to provide input on proposed options as part of the redistricting analysis process that was pioneered by the Franklin School Committee during the 2021- 2022 academic year. The district will host public forums on March 7 at Franklin High School Media Center from 6pm -8pm and on March 13 virtually via Zoom from 6pm - 8pm. Both forums will present the same information.

Options proposed have been workshopped by district staff, the redistricting analysis consultant Applied Geographics (AppGeo) and the Redistricting Advisory Committee, which is composed of parents/ guardians, educators, district and building based administrators as well as schoolcommittee members. All options will be presented by the district and redistricting analysis consultant, a supplementary input survey will be distributed to collect additional comments.

The feedback provided during our upcoming public forums and input survey will inform thedistrict's recommendation to the School Committee for a vote in the Spring of 2023. The decision to implement any recommendations, including potential changes to current boundaries, is a School Committee decision.

The following options will be presented in March.

Option 1 - Proposes that current district attendance boundaries remain the same while a Master Facilities Plan is conducted. ASMS/Keller spaces will continue to be used flexibly. Both administrative teams at the complex will continue to work together to utilize the available spaceto accommodate the needs of all students.

Option 2 - Proposes a change to district attendance boundaries in an attempt to balance enrollment while also maintaining geographic contiguity and undertaking a Master Facilities Plan, which may result in further redistricting based on the outcome.

Option 3 - While the current district attendance boundaries remain the same as Option 1, there is a consideration for including a "Buffer Zone" for designated areas of the former Davis Thayer attendance boundary, which could allow families to opt-in to Oak Street and/or Parmenter Elementary School for specific zones as a special consideration.

ASMS/Keller spaces will continue to be used flexibly. Both administrative teams at the complex will continue to work together to utilize the available space to accommodate the needs of all students. When necessary, small group instruction for Keller students may occur in nearby Sullivan spaces—understanding that the results of a Master Facilities Plan could reassign attendance boundaries for students in future years.

Buffer Zone Considerations in Option 3:

1. The District will not provide transportation, and parents/guardians of students who request to transfer must transport their child to and from school.

2. Requests are taken on a first-come, first-served basis based on room availability.

3. Families approved for the voluntary buffer zone opt-in may be subject to a reassignment of their district boundary pending the results of a Master Facilities Plan.

Additional information can be found on the Redistricting Analysis webpage of the Franklin

Public Schools website. For more information please contact Marketing and Communications Specialist Lily Rivera at riveral@franklinps.net.