The crown jewel of Franklin High School’s extracurricular portfolio is losing its leader.

Longtime DECA adviser Sandy Atkinson will be missed.

Atkinson is leaving the classroom for an administrative position in the school division next year and, in so doing, will give up leadership of the school’s highly successful DECA chapter.

Under Atkinson’s tutelage, the student marketing club has routinely garnered recognition at the state and national levels. DECA attracts the school’s best and brightest, who make Franklin proud when they compete against peers from across the state and nation.

Atkinson, as is her style, deflects any credit to the students, but her enthusiastic and steady leadership unquestionably has contributed to the program’s success.

How big is the void created by Atkinson’s departure as DECA faculty adviser? Ponder the possibility of the championship-winning Bronco football team losing veteran head coach Darren Parker. Their respective programs’ track records of success are very comparable.

We hope school officials will choose wisely in determining Atkinson’s successor. He or she has big shoes to fill.