Franklin City School Board approves special‑education plan, budgets small grant increases and awards HVAC contract amid heated public safety complaints

The Franklin City School Board recessed briefly after an initial 3‑3 tie on approving the meeting agenda but reconvened and moved forward with staff reports and votes at its April 16 meeting.

The board approved the school division's IDEA (special education) annual plan for 2026–27 after a presentation by Dr. Crutchfield, who said the plan is built on an enrollment base used for funding estimates and outlines allowable uses: personnel, employee benefits, purchased services, and supplies dedicated to students with disabilities. "The current year we are allotted 395,000 approximately," Dr. Crutchfield said, describing the distribution of funds and recent investments such as a sensory room at S.P. Morton and iPads for nonverbal students.

Board members asked for clarification on timelines, the number of students receiving services and whether long‑term substitutes were counted among returning teachers; Dr. Crutchfield said the report reflects teachers and that further detail on licensure status could be provided. A motion to approve the annual special‑education plan carried following discussion and recorded votes.

The board also approved a budget amendment to record a $5,000 Wallace Foundation grant and small increases to Title I, III and IV allocations after the finance presenter noted that the division had collected roughly 74% of expected revenues and expended 76% through March. The finance presenter said outstanding federal reimbursements (about $117,000) and pending state ADM information affect final audit numbers but that the amendment requires appropriation only to record revenues and expenditures and does not ask for new city funds.

On compensation, staff outlined a scenario raising a previously approved 3% salary increase to 4%, which would cost roughly $454,496 division‑wide and require the city to pick up approximately 73% of the added share. Several board members urged commissioning an outside compensation study (as neighboring localities have done) or presenting a detailed breakdown showing which employee groups would receive targeted increases and the resulting fiscal impact. The board asked staff to pursue market data and provide more detailed proposals before final action.

In facilities business, Dr. Walters presented operations needs and recommended awarding a combined contract to Hoffman Mechanical to replace the boiler and chiller at S.P. Morton after soliciting quotes that ranged from about $168,000 to $180,000. The board approved the contract award to Hoffman Mechanical so work can proceed.

Dr. Walters also described a proposed summer meal‑delivery pilot with vendor Food for Good and Amazon handling home delivery. The pilot would deliver either three‑day or seven‑day meal boxes to children ages 1–18 living in city limits; roughly 320 families had expressed interest. Staff said they will track participation carefully to avoid duplicate USDA reimbursement claims and will bring the matter back to the board if costs exceed the superintendent's spending threshold.

The meeting included extended citizens' time. Multiple parents raised serious allegations about student safety in special‑education settings at S.P. Morton, including reports they said involved physical harm, inadequate supervision and retaliatory practices when parents advocated for services. "This is a serious concern," said Bethany Gold, who told the board she had reported incidents and lacked confidence that the system had addressed them. Chelsea Tuning and others said they have filed complaints with CPS, the Virginia Department of Education and federal offices and asked the board to institute independent oversight of investigations into incidents involving disabled children.

In response, board members acknowledged the concerns and asked parents to continue to provide information; several board members urged the community to remain engaged as the district pursues follow‑up. The board moved into closed session later in the meeting for personnel matters and, on returning to open session, certified compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The board adjourned after routine consent items and scheduling confirmations. The chair scheduled follow‑up reports on compensation analysis, the summer meal program's participant counts and additional details requested for special‑education staffing and licensing.