Louisburg, N. C. — At their meeting on Monday, May 15th, 2017, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners agreed to fully fund Franklin County Schools’ 2017-18 current local budget request. The total request for more than $16.3 million dollars is a $1.1 million dollar increase over the District’s 2016-17 local funding allocation.
Throughout the year, Franklin County school officials have been working to offer competitive salaries for some of the most critical positions within the district. With increased pressure from charter schools and neighboring districts, competitive pay for principals and certified staff members is a top priority and, according to school leaders, this local funding increase will provide Franklin County Schools with more financial flexibility as they seek to increase student proficiency and school performance grades.
“This is a breath of fresh air amidst a difficult budget year,” says Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga. “We are incredibly grateful for this funding opportunity and we will continue to work diligently to provide the best education possible for our students.”
School Board Chair, Dr. Elizabeth S. Keith, said that the local allocation for the upcoming school year is the most generous she’s seen in more than 30 years of public education service in Franklin County.
“On behalf of the school board, we are truly appreciative of our Commissioner’s dedication to education in Franklin County,” she says, adding, “Our stewardship of these resources will be evident in the continued success of our schools.”
Franklin County Schools’ total locally allocated current expense budget for the 2017-18 school year is $17,056,554.00. The District’s capital outlay budget, which is also locally funded, remained the same at $1.4 million.
The school board is scheduled to approve a complete 2017-18 school budget at its annual year-end budget meeting on June 29th.
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Patrick Glace
Director of Communications
Franklin County Schools
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.png00WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2017-05-16 17:36:312017-05-16 17:36:31Franklin County Commissioners Fully Fund District Request
Louisburg, N. C. — On Monday evening, the Franklin County Board of Education named two new principals for the upcoming 2017 – 2018 school year. Caroline Linker has been selected as Principal of Youngsville Elementary School and Melissa Richardson has been named Principal of Franklinton Elementary School. Both will begin their new posts on July 1st.
Linker currently serves as the Assistant Principal of Bunn High School, where she has worked with the school’s administrative team to build a culture of trust and advocacy. Prior to working for Franklin County Schools, Linker worked as a School Director for Teach for America in Northampton County Public Schools and as a High School Math Teacher for Halifax County Schools. She also served as a Transition Team Leader for Teach for America throughout eastern North Carolina.
Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga is confident that Linker has what it takes to build upon the success of Youngsville Elementary School for years to come, saying he worked with her during his time at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and he’s been very impressed with her work this year at Bunn High School.
“Ms. Linker is a strong and ambitious instructional leader,” he says, adding “I’m confident that she will work together with the community, teachers, and students to continue to improve Youngsville Elementary as we tackle new challenges.”
Linker is a product of North Carolina State University’s prestigious Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA), where she graduated with a Master’s of School Administration. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Organizational Communication from NCSU. She received her Teaching Certificate in Secondary Mathematics from East Carolina University.
Linker looks forward to the new opportunity, saying “I can’t wait to begin building partnerships and positive working relationships with teachers, staff, students and community members as we work together to ensure that all students succeed.
“Our future is so bright and it will take us all working together to achieve our goals of high student achievement, a dynamic culture of high expectations, and a strong community in and outside of our school,” she added.
FES Welcomes a New Leader
Melissa Richardson currently works as the Principal of Hollister Elementary School in Halifax County. When she began working as the Principal of Hollister Elementary in 2013, the school was designated as low-performing by state officials. In just three years and under her leadership, Richardson has seen 44% growth in student achievement – a 33.5-point increase in the school’s proficiency composite – and the school has gone from an “F” designation on the North Carolina School Report Card to a “C.”
Richardson says she is excited to start her new journey with Franklin County Schools and she looks forward to the community’s support in providing a world-class education for her students.
“Together we will continue to develop an academic program that is challenging and rewarding for students, staff and community,” she says.
Superintendent Mubenga rests assured that Richardson’s experience at Hollister Elementary will prove to be a vital component in the success of Franklinton Elementary School, a school that’s been working its way out of low-performing status throughout the year.
“Our district staff has provided a tremendous amount of support to Franklinton Elementary this year, and I’m very excited to welcome Mrs. Richardson to the team so that we can maintain this momentum,” he said.
Prior to serving as Principal at Hollister Elementary, Richardson worked as an Assistant Principal, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Site Coordinator, and as an Elementary School Teacher in Halifax County Schools. In 2012, she also completed her Master’s of School Administration through North Carolina State University’s NELA Program and was recently recognized as Halifax County Schools’ Principal of the Year. Richardson holds her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Shaw University.
Louisburg, N. C. – Earlier this month, Franklin County School officials received word that the district was awarded a $192,000 technology grant from the Golden LEAF foundation. The grant will build on the district’s current technology initiatives by providing additional Google Chromebooks, compact web-based laptops, for high school students during the 2017-18 school year.
At the County School Board’s April meeting, Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga commended Dr. Rhonda Schuhler, Associate Superintendent, and the team who worked on this project, saying that technology skills are a big part of the District’s strategic plan.
“In order to be competitive, our students need to have access to technology so that they can gain the skills they need to be successful in school and beyond,” Mubenga said, adding “Thank you to Dr. Schuhler and our team that worked diligently on this proposal – we’re excited to continue to work towards a one to one initiative in our district.”
The grant will allow the district to purchase 700 Lenovo Chromebooks and 28 Laptop Management Carts in total. Devices and carts will be distributed using a formula that takes each high school’s enrollment into consideration to ensure that devices are distributed equitably based on student population.
As the largest high school in the district, Franklinton High School will receive 11 management carts housing 308 devices. Bunn High School will receive 252 devices and nine management carts; Louisburg High School will receive 168 devices and six management carts. Franklin County Early College High School, which houses just 185 students, will receive 56 devices and two management carts.
According to Schuhler, even though the grant will be used to purchase devices, the project, which is entitled T3 – Technology, Teaching, and Transformation, is focused on student achievement.
“The scope and impact of the T3 project is directly focused on increasing student proficiency in core content areas, increasing digital skills and competencies, and creating more well-rounded, competitive students,” says Schuhler. “Our hope is to use this experience to better prepare for the implementation of a complete one to one initiative across the district,” she added.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Franklin-County-Schools-Receives-192000-Golden-LEAF-Technology-Grant.jpg280453WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2017-04-26 12:14:222017-04-26 12:14:22Franklin County Schools Receives $192,000 Golden LEAF Technology Grant
Louisburg, N. C. — Ten students from Boston University have spent last week supporting Terrell Lane Middle School as part of the University’s Alternative Spring Break Program. The program, which has served the Louisburg community and Terrell Lane Middle School students for more than ten years, is focused on providing volunteer support and community service to rural and low-income areas across the country.
During their visit, the team of student volunteers worked to provide various forms of instructional support to the school. This includes: tutoring small groups of students, presenting to classes and grade levels on various subjects, including character education, and assisting with the middle school’s annual spelling bee.
According to Lisa Rocco, program coordinator for the University’s internship program and chaperone for this year’s trip to Terrell Lane, the alternative spring break program is not only a leadership opportunity for BU students, it also gives them a chance to better understand many of the needs facing similar areas throughout the country.
“For both [BU] students and communities, these trips are an opportunity for them to engage in service, engage with people in the community, and to really get a feel for the needs of the people they’re working with,” she says.
The team of students drove more than 15 hours from Boston, Massachusetts before arriving at the school. Rocco says the drive was more than worth it for these students to better understand rural life and some of the challenges students in Franklin County face each day.
“Walking away feeling enlightened, feeling so much more aware and seeing first-hand some of the issues affecting people, it helps ground you,” she says.
However, without the support of local philanthropist and school board member, Paige Sayles, the visit wouldn’t be possible. Sayles has opened her home to nearly a dozen college students each year as part of the program’s visit.
Devin Harvin, a sophomore and double major in Political Science and History at BU, is one of the student coordinators for this year’s group. He said the welcome that Sayles and other members of the community have provided to him and the student volunteers he’s traveling with has been unbelievably positive.
“I really like Louisburg,” he said, adding “It’s been such a welcoming and friendly atmosphere that seems really focused on community.”
Harvin is from Baltimore, Maryland, but members of the student group are from all over the world – ranging from Abu Dhabi to California, and from Thailand to Georgia. On Friday, Schools Superintendent Pascal Mubenga visited Terrell Lane to thank the visiting students for choosing to serve Franklin County Schools and to invite them to return as teachers when they graduate.
“Programs like this really make an impact on our student’s perspective,” he said. “I would encourage you to think about returning to Franklin County after you graduate – we’re always looking for great, dedicated teachers.”
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Patrick Glace
Director of Communications
Franklin County Schools
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Franklin-County-Schools-WIZS.jpg280453WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2017-03-14 15:22:192017-03-14 15:22:19Boston University Students Dedicate Spring Break to Serving Franklin County
