About Us

The City of Franklin, founded in 1799, was named after Benjamin Franklin, a close friend of Dr. Hugh Williamson, a member of the Continental Congress for whom Williamson County was named. For most of its first 180 years, Franklin was a tranquil, small county seat. In the years prior to the Civil War, Williamson County was one of the wealthiest counties in Tennessee and Franklin was the center of plantation economy. However, the Civil War devastated the economy. Union troops occupied the area for nearly three years. The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, and was one of the war’s bloodiest battles, costing more than 8,000 casualties and turning every home and building in town into a hospital. It took 120 years for the county’s economy to reach pre-war levels.

Today, Franklin is one of the wealthiest cities in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. Approximately 78,000 people live in Franklin. In 2017, the U.S. Census ranked Franklin as the 8th fastest growing city in the Nation.

Located just 14 miles south of Nashville, the FSSD is located in the heart of Franklin, a city that has made a place for itself on the map for its blending of the traditional with the modern. Named the “Number One Small Town in Tennessee,” Franklin is an excellent place to work, live, raise children, or simply enjoy the history of a city that appreciates its beginnings.

• FSSD’s 2018-19 TNReady achievement scores ranked it among the Top 10 of all 147 public school systems in Tennessee. The district is 1 of only 8 in Tennessee to score in the top 10 for all tested subjects!
• FSSD received an overall Composite Score of 5, on a 1-5 scale, for student growth in ELA/Literacy, Math and Social Studies based on TNReady data.
• Four of the 8 schools are 2018-2019 Tennessee Reward Schools.
• 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 nursing positions.
• The FSSD and all 8 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 AdvancED, 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 Board chairman was appointed to the 2015 TSBA All-Tennessee School Board and was awarded the 2015 Tennessee School Board Member of the Year by TSBA.
• The average salary of instructional personnel in the FSSD is consistently in the top 10 in the state in most salary lanes. In 2019, the FSSD was #4 in the state for average bachelor’s salary and #5 in state for average master’s salary.
• Approximately 69 percent of the district’s faculty holds a master’s degree or higher (2018-2019 State Report Card).
• The FSSD’s expenditures per pupil are $14,869 – 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 (2018-2019 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 built in 2020.
• 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 5-8 have a 1:1 laptop-to-student ratio with access to a district Chromebook or MacBook.
• 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 4.7 compared to the state average of 13.3% (2018-2019 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 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 Reading 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.