Franklin schools to offer free breakfasts

Published 9:22 am Friday, August 31, 2012

FRANKLIN—Every student in Franklin Public Schools can have a free breakfast daily when school reconvenes Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Students paid $1.25 for full-priced breakfasts and 30 cents for reduced-price last year.

Lunches will cost $2.15 at S.P. Morton Elementary School and $2.40 at J.P. King Middle and Franklin High schools. Reduced price lunch will be 40 cents.

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Belle said the school expects to have 1,050 students, including 708 at S.P. Morton, 268 at J.P. King and 303 at Franklin High.

“It’ll probably end up being less,” said Belle said.

Computer-based math classes were eliminated at the high school, which will go back to the traditional classroom setting for Algebra I, geometry and some Algebra II classes.

All schools will have new principals. Debbie Harris-Rollins will take over for Don Spengeman, who retired from S.P. Morton Elementary. Jametha Ruffin will take over as assistant principal.

Former S.P. Morton Assistant Principal Lisa Francis has taken the top job at J.P. King Middle School, while Ricky Wright takes over as assistant principal. Francis takes over for Angela Byrd-Wright, who left for a job with Hampton Schools.

Travis Felts was promoted to principal at Franklin High School to replace Dr. Rodney Barry, who took a job in Hopewell. Jason Chandler was hired as assistant principal.

Dr. Maurice Minor was hired as coordinator of testing to replace Ken Raybuck, who retired. Dr. Jennifer Tindle is the new web manager.

New teachers at the high school are Monica Bowles, special education; Robert Burdette, math; Michael Cramer, history; Charles Crawford, band; and Leslie McDonald, biology. At J.P. King, they are Whitney Copeland, Audra Edwards, Pauline Haswell and Shirleen Garcia, all special education; Pristina Cromwell, math; James Holemon, keyboarding; and Tammie Wilson, librarian. At S.P. Morton, new teachers include Katelyn Gwaltney, fourth-grade reading; Faith Hewett, third grade and Kelsey Lowe, first grade.