July 2025
Dear Franklin families,
First – welcome to all our new families! I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful and relaxing summer filled with family, friends, and fun. Summers are busy times for everyone and that is true here at school as well! But we do slow down a bit, find time to renew, and enjoy the opportunity to tackle big new ideas and opportunities that get pushed to the side in the urgency of the school year.
If you are new to Franklin, this is your first newsletter. Throughout the school year I share a weekly Sunday newsletter. The Sunday newsletter, along with information from your grade level teachers, should provide most or all the information you need to stay connected with school events and issues. I hope you find it helpful, especially as you get to know our community. I will send a couple of newsletters in August as we get closer to the start of school.
The installation of our new turf athletic field and walking path is moving right along and though it’s not done – it sure is pretty! We are on target for completion in time for our fall athletics season. This is a great time to remind everyone to get your physicals! If your student plans to participate in a school sport, they must have a sports physical and a concussion form. You’ll find the forms on our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/forms/. Please note that in addition to our new soccer field, we have joined the Carolina Athletic Association for Schools of Choice, which means that our high school students will have the opportunity to compete as part of a conference. This is exciting, and it also means we have to be even tighter about having all paperwork completed and meeting athletic eligibility requirements.
We’re wrapping up our final week of our summer learning program this week – we’ve enjoyed having students on campus this summer. For students and families who participated, we hope you had a great experience! Many thanks to our hardworking summer staff for creating a joyful and positive summer learning opportunity.
We look forward to meeting you this Sunday, July 20th at Buncombe County Sports Park! The FSI Parent Crew is hosting a Family Meet and Greet at the Buncombe County Sports Park Shelter #1. This is a great opportunity to have kids meet new classmates, reconnect with their school friends and for you to build a stronger community among other parents here at FSI! Bring snacks and yard games if you would like. The Parent Crew will also have some refreshments & snacks available for purchase as well as some FSI gear. Kona Ice will be there from 1 – 4.
- 5th & 6th 1-2pm
- 7th/8th grade 2pm – 3pm,
- High School 3-5pm
Finally, those of you returning to Franklin will know that I am a passionate supporter of public school funding and y’all – this summer has been a bit rough! I want to assure everyone that we will be ok. We are used to doing hard things and surviving and we’ll figure this challenge out as well. We are fully staffed, we have provided all returning staff members with at least modest pay increases, and we have a solid financial reserve fund if needed. With that said – here’s where things stand:
- Local funding cut 10%: Last year Buncombe County cut funding to local schools, following Hurricane Helene and the resulting budget challenges. These funds have not been restored for the coming year. These cuts are passed along to charter schools and represent a loss of just over $100,000.
- State Budget Failure: Our General Assembly went home for the summer without passing a budget. Until they pass a budget, we will be funded at the same level as last year. This means no increased funding to pay for the salary increases we have already provided to our staff, or to meet the cost of inflation. The budget proposed by the House is much better for public schools! There’s still time to contact our elected officials and demand that they do their job and pass a budget that supports public education and all public employees.
- Federal budget cuts: You may have heard about the $6 billion the president is withholding from public schools. Our (tiny) share of these funds is $30,000 – which we use to support professional development and coaching for our teachers. In addition, our funding for IDEA, used to serve students with IEPs, and for Title I, used to support all students in our school-wide Title I program – has been cut from last year.
How can parents support our school – and all public schools – in the face of these challenges? There are two simple things our families can do!
- We have a few openings in select grades (grades 5, 10, 11 and 12). If you know great families and kids who would benefit from our student-centered approach, tell them to apply! Filling our classrooms means more funding to go around.
- Call our elected officials. Although the County’s budget has already passed, there is still time to let our federal and state leaders know that parents care about public schools. Here’s a quick call to action with telephone numbers: Public Education Call to Action
The rest of the newsletter includes some of the high-level “need to know” information. We’ll send more information in August as we get closer to the start of the school year. Until then, enjoy your summer!
With appreciation,
Michelle Vruwink, Executive Director
Tony Freeman, Middle School Principal
Paula Dowd, High School Principal
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Upcoming Dates Sunday, July 20, 1 – 5pm: FSI Family Meet & Greet @ Buncombe County Sports Park Shelter #1 Wed, July 23, 4 – 6 pm: Open Mic @ Doc Brown’s BBQ. All are welcome to perform! Sing, read a poem, dance – whatever. Doc Brown will donate 10% of sales to the music department. Thursday, July 24, 6:30 pm: FSI Baseball Night Out! School tickets are sold out – but you can still buy general tickets and see other FSI families at the game. Come listen to FSI student sing the National Anthem! Wed, Aug 13, 4 – 6 pm: Open Mic @ Doc Brown’s BBQ Thursday, August 14, 6:30 pm: Virtual Parent Orientation Meet our administrative team and learn all the things you need to know! Drop-off & pick up procedures, communication, cell-phone policy, extracurricular activities, volunteer sign up, and more! Zoom link is available on our Community Calendar Thursday, August 21, 5 – 7 pm: Meet the Teacher Come meet our wonderful FSI faculty and staff and pick up your schedules & welcome packets. We encourage middle school (grades 5 – 8) parents to come from 5 – 6 and high school parents from 6 – 7 to help with traffic and parking, but all teachers will be here from 5 – 7, so come when you can. We will end promptly at 7 pm. Monday, August 25- 1st Day of School!
Wednesday, August 27 – Early Release – We will begin our “short” Wednesdays right away. Mon, September 5: No School – Labor Day Holiday Find all our events on our Community Calendar! |
School Supplies
We know some folks love back to school shopping! If you’re eager to get ready, find your grade level supply lists on our website.
Required Forms
Emergency Medical Authorization
All students are required to have a Student Health Form on file. These forms are extremely important; in the case of an emergency and treatment may be delayed if we do not have this form on hand. These forms will be sent via email from Erinn Otten. Please watch for these forms!
Medications at School
If your student will require medication of any type during the school day, please remember to complete and submit the appropriate medical forms. You will find forms for diabetes, asthma, allergies, medication, and self-medication on our website, or your doctor’s office should have school forms available. Under North Carolina regulations, students are not permitted to take any medications at school, including over-the-counter medications, unless the school has a current copy of a medication form on record. These forms require physician signature.
Immunizations
Students new to public school must provide proof of immunizations. You can read more about required immunizations here: http://www.immunize.nc.gov/schools/k-12.htm
Students entering 7th grade have new immunization requirements:
- Tdap – Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough)
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)
You (or your doctor) can fax proof of immunizations to us at 828-318-8125, email to EOtten@thefsi.us, or mail or drop off to the office.
Sports Physicals, Concussion Form, and Medical Waivers
If your student will participate in our athletics program, all three forms must be completed and returned prior to participation. The physical must have a doctor’s signature. Forms are available on our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/forms/
Attendance – 1st Day & Every Day!
Did you know that improved school attendance is one of the easiest ways parents can help improve student academic performance? And missing just 2 days a month can lead to a higher risk of dropping out of school! Attendance is important, every day, unless a student is sick.
For charter schools – 1st day attendance is especially important! Our funding is directly based on the number of students we serve. Students do not count as enrolled in our school until they attend – even if they have been students at our school in prior years. So if your student misses the 1st day(s) of school, our funding is cut for the whole year. These small amounts truly add up to a big impact on our budget! So please make plans to have your student in school on Monday, August 25 and for every day the rest of the year!
Bus Service
Information and registration for bus service has already been sent out via email from Deeana Bennett, and we have over 300 students already registered! If you have not already registered – please do so ASAP! If you have already signed up please do not register again – we’ve got your information already.
Free & Reduced Lunch
Did you know that Franklin participates in the federal school lunch program? We are so pleased to provide this service for our families. Our kitchen staff have been trying out some new recipes and treating us all this summer – we can vouch for the delicious meals! You can sign up here: Free and reduced lunch application
Beyond the Bell (BTB) Before & After School Program
Before School: 7:15 am-7:45 am: Mon-Fri
After School: 3:15 pm-6:00 pm: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, and 1:00-6:00 pm Wednesdays
This is a fee-based program. Financial aid is available for qualifying households, upon completion of application. More information is available on our website. https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/beyond-the-bell-btb/ Contact Ron Scott, rscott@thefsi.us, for more information.
