About Us

You can see and experience Franklin's history by exploring the area. However, beginning in 2017, city and community leaders met to ensure a "fuller story" could be told about the proud heritage of the area's African American community. Because of their work, as well as support from the larger community,  five educational markers have been placed near the city's Confederate soldier monument and around the square depicting the African American experience before and after the Battle of Franklin. 

Franklin is a unique blend of history and progress. You’ll find the best of both worlds here: small-town charm and big-city sophistication. There are fascinating historical sites and museums, magnificent Antebellum and Victorian homes – plus our thriving downtown shopping area and the Cool Springs Galleria, unique dining and entertainment, and wonderful festivals. Franklin has grown from a very small, agricultural community into a strong blend of residential, commercial and corporate citizens. Franklin has spent millions to maintain the town’s Main Street so it reflects its historical surroundings and has garnered the prestigious “Great American Main Street Award” from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1995. More recently, the City is a 2020 All-America City winner from the National Civic League. 

• FSSD’s state achievement scores consistently rank it among the Top 10 of all 147 public school systems in Tennessee. The last reported scores (2021) indicated that the FSSD was one of the top 10 districts for Overall Performance, which includes achievement and subgroup performance! 
• FSSD also received an overall Composite Score of 5, on a 1-5 scale, for student growth in ELA/Literacy and Math based on the 2021 state assessment data.
• The FSSD achieved a Level 5 score (on a  scale of 1-5) on both Literacy  and Numeracy in 2021 TCAP results.
• Based on 2021 TCAP data, the district has 5 Reward Schools. This designation is given based on a calculation that includes TCAP scores, student growth, and chronically absent percentages.
• Liberty Elementary School is a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School, a five-year designation for achievement as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
• The FSSD places a deliberate focus on personalized instruction tailored to meet each student’s individual needs.
• The district consistently meets and/or exceeds the state’s teacher-pupil ratio requirement of 1 to 20 in K-3rd grade, 1 to 25 in grades 4-6, and 1 to 30 in grades 7-8. In kindergarten through third grade, the ratio meets the state requirement of 1 to 20, while in fourth grade it exceeds the requirement with a 1 to 22 ratio (state requirement: 1 to 25), and in grades 5-8 it is 1 to 25 (state requirement: 1 to 30).
• Middle school students have the opportunity to participate in the Duke University Talent Search and both middle schools consistently have honorees at the state and national level.
• Students in grades 7 and 8 may take high school credited courses in Algebra I, Geometry, French I, or Spanish I, enabling them to earn as many as 3 high school credits.
• Each school has a fully staffed clinic to meet the health needs of all children. A District Nursing Coordinator supervises eight full-time licensed school nurses.
• The FSSD and all schools are Heart Safe accredited by Project ADAM of Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with every site trained and prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency. Every school and central office has an AED.
• All schools and the Central Office are accredited by  Cognia, one of the most esteemed education accrediting agencies in the nation. In its last review (2018), the FSSD received a glowing review and was extended accreditation through 2023.
• The School Board is a seven-time Board of Distinction recipient from the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) and the 2015 Tennessee School Board of the Year.
• Four of the six Board of Education members have received Master School Board Member status by achieving Level V accreditation from the TSBA. 
• The average salary of instructional personnel in the FSSD is consistently in the top 10 in the state in most salary lanes. In 2021, the FSSD was #5 in the state for average bachelor's salary and #6 in the state for average master’s salary.
• Approximately 69 percent of the district’s faculty holds a master’s degree or higher (2019).
• The FSSD’s expenditures per pupil are $15,582– among the highest in the state. This figure is a standard of quality that illustrates the district’s commitment to providing high quality instruction and resources to its students (2019-2020 State Report Card).
• The FSSD holds an Aa1 (Exceptional) Financial Strength Rating classification by Moody’s, signifying the district’s commitment to responsible spending.
• FSSD students have unique opportunities to use and develop their talents in the visual and performing arts. The FSSD provides extraordinary funding for programs such as art, theater, vocal and instrumental music as part of the student’s academic day.
• A brand new Performing Arts Center for use by all FSSD schools is slated to be finished in 2022.
• The FSSD physical education program is recognized on both the state and national level as a model. One school is a state demonstration center and a second school is a national award winner for physical education. Students in grades K-4 receive daily physical education instruction.
• Special academic programs include the Honors program for high-ability learners in grades 5-8 as well as a program of services for gifted and talented students. Each school has an accelerated learning teacher who provides direct instruction to eligible students.
• The district is committed to early childhood education and has pre-kindergarten classes and a special education preschool in all of the elementary schools.
• The FSSD is committed to integrating technology at all grade levels and has three Instructional Technology Specialists.
• All students in grades K-8 have a 1:1 device-to-student ratio with access to a district laptop or tablet.
• The FSSD operates a low-cost Morning and Afternoon Care (MAC) program for children five days a week and during most holidays and summer break. MAC is a self-sustaining program that provides enrichment, tutoring, and extra-curricular activities for its students.
• The FSSD operates an employee child care education center for children of working parents. The MAC program oversees the center, called WeeMAC, which serves children ages 6 weeks through preschool and is self-sustaining.
• The FSSD is committed to student safety and all schools have secure access through an office vestibule, monitored at all times by district staff. Cameras monitored by office staff are also present in all buildings.
• The FSSD’s chronically out of school percentage is only 3.8% compared to the state average of 12.5% (2019-2020 State Report Card).
• FSSD students taking Algebra I or Geometry as a high school credit course have achieved at least a 95% success rate on the high school end of course (EOC) exam since its inception. The FSSD was #1 in the state in Geometry based on the 2021 TCAAP results.
• The district has made a priority of not charging academic fees for supplies students need for core classes or related arts. No supplemental fees are required of parents.
• The district believes that summer instruction can be beneficial to both high ability and low ability learners. The district offers the Young Scholars Institute for students who choose enrichment activities and Summer Learning Camp for those who benefit from extra support over the summer. In addition, the district helps support Gentry Educational Foundation for youth in the community to receive academic remediation and/or enrichment, as well as instruction in many fun and diverse extra-curricular classes.