Franklin Community Schools administrators gave a consolidated facilities report that included ongoing construction timelines, recent repairs and planned openings.

Administrators showed design boards from Schmidt Architecture for a new pre-K learning center and an agricultural education center at the high school. The district reported steel is being erected for the high school project and said it remains on schedule to open by next summer.

“We are on pace to open to be finished by next summer and have this ready for next school year,” a district official said about the pre-K/academy building, noting interior design work is underway.

The agricultural center will include an animal barn and production/agribusiness space for FFA and agricultural education, plus storage for choir and performing arts and a hitting barn for baseball and softball. The district said a groundbreaking for the ag barn is scheduled Friday at 9:00 a.m. near the north end of the high school campus.

Facilities updates included partial roof replacements at the high school and middle school, replacement of older boilers and HVAC equipment, playground upgrades to increase accessibility (Northwoods, CBIS and Creekside), new carpeting and painting in several schools, and plans to replace aging turf fields for baseball, softball, soccer and band practice surfaces.

District administrators said they financed much of the work through a 2024 $30 million bond for the preschool center and high school upgrades and earlier borrowing for infrastructure. They also described contracting with Malarkey for shingle replacement work and working with a general contractor on interior finishes.

The district noted the upgrades aim to reduce deferred maintenance, restore lost instructional or activity time for students and create community rental opportunities for upgraded facilities.