Franklin High

School Website

Principal
School Address
810 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, Tennessee 37064
Phone: 615.472.4450
Fax: 615.472.4478

School Colors
Maroon and White

School Mascots
Rebels

Principal
Mrs. Willie Dickerson

Assistant Principals/Administrative Assistants
Todd Campbell
Lily Leffler
Pam Lankford
Christian Niemeyer

Enrollment
2008- 2009: 1800+

Pupil/Teacher Ratio
26:1

Zoning Maps

School History

Franklin High School has a long and rich history of providing education to the young people of Williamson County.  It began in 1910 with twenty students and two teachers in a few upstairs rooms of the Franklin Institute, the old Franklin Elementary School, located at Five Corners.  That first Franklin high School graduated three students in 1912.  One of the early principals was an educator by the name of Miss Nell Shea.  In the fall of 1926, the new Franklin high School opened its doors on a site atop a hill on Columbia Avenue. G.E. Craddock was the principal when this move was made and he carried with him a staff of ten teachers and a senior class of 33.  Courses taught included English, math, history, science, French, Latin, home economics and manual arts, taught by Mr. Craddock, the principal.  In 1936, W.C. Yates became principal of Franklin high School.  In addition to serving as principal, Mr. Yates also taught agriculture.  In 1941, when FHS first became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, it had 13 teaching staff members and a senior class of 53.  Mr. Daly Thompson, who earlier had served as superintendent of schools while teaching Bible and science at Franklin High School, became principal in the early 1950's. 

In 1955, Barry Sutton became principal, and it was during his first year, January 1956, that the building on Columbia Avenue burned, leaving only the gym and a few basement classrooms standing.  Local church buildings were pressed into service until a new building was constructed on the present site.  It consisted of 19 classrooms, a gym, cafeteria, library, study hall, offices and three shops.  With a staff of 19 and a senior class of 72, Mr. Sutton and Franklin High School moved into the new building over the Thanksgiving holidays in 1957.  During Mr. Sutton's tenure, the building was enlarged, and by 1967 the senior class numbered 184 with a teaching staff of 45.  Carl Owen served as principal for one year, 1967-68, and it was during his administration that Natchez High School and Franklin High School were combined, with both campuses housing Franklin High School students.  Mr. D.W. Sanders became principal in the fall of 1968, and in 1971 Carl Pike became principal.  During his tenure, another addition was added to the building, and by 1981 the senior class numbered 442.  In 1982 Brentwood High School was opened, pulling most of its student body from the ranks of Franklin High School.  Bob Lawson, formerly an assistant principal and guidance counselor, became principal of FHS in 1987, and during his year of service, another major addition and renovation project was inaugurated. 

In 1988 Doug Crosier was named principal and the 9.5 million dollar renovation and addition was completed.  Franklin High continued its steady growth, so much so that the new Centennial High School opened in 1996 to accommodate the growing Franklin/Williamson County area.  Dr. John Calton was appointed as principal for the 2000-01 school year.  After Dr. Calton resigned in the summer of 2001, Dr. Linda Miller became the principal for one year.    

In the summer of 2002 Mrs. Willie Dickerson was appointed the current head principal.  Franklin High School's tradition of excellence established over the past 93 years has continued.  Over the past five years, 11 students have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, and test scores have remained well above state and national averages.  In 2000 Franklin High became the first high school in Tennessee to be accepted as an affiliate member of the International Baccalaureate Program.  In July 2004 the IB organization announced that all ten of the first IB graduates were awarded IB diplomas.  Franklin High also excels outside the classroom, with a nationally recognized band program, active forensic and vocal music programs, numerous student clubs and organizations, and competitive athletic programs in every sport sanctioned by the TSSAA, including 10 state championships in women’s soccer in the past 11 years.  Today the school numbers over 1700 students.

During the summer of 2004 construction for a new 18 million dollar building began in front of the old building built in 1957.  Most of the 400 Hallway was demolished, the building reconfigured for the main entrance in the back, and ten portables positioned behind the Field House to carry on instruction.  Completion is expected in the fall of 2005, with a moving date into the new building either in November or December of 2005

Community
The town of Franklin is a residential/business community of approximately 30,000 located in suburban-rural Williamson County, one of the fastest growing counties in the South. Franklin has been ranked as the number one small town in Tennessee. Residents are from diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds. The community is a neighbor of Nashville to the north and of Spring Hill to the south.

Williamson County - Franklin, TN Chamber of Commerce

Williamson County Government

Williamson Works 

Parent Support Organization

Franklin High School has four important organizations that help the school. The Franklin Parents' Association, supports academics and improvements in the school. In addition, there are many booster organizations working with each athletic team.

Special Programs

Theater in Schools, Jobs for Tennessee Graduates, Physical Education/Related Arts/ Wellness, Weight Training and Conditioning, Seasonal Sports JROTC I – IV, Art I - IV, Theater Arts I - IV, Music Appreciation, Choral Studies, Concert Choir, Freshman Chorus, Intro. Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Journalism Newspaper and Yearbook, Music Theory, Music Careers/Electronic Recording I – II, Lifetime Wellness, International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

 Library/Media Center

The Library has around 15,000 volumes and 1000 video tapes. Especially good is the magazine collection and the reference section. There is a professional library for the teachers. The library is fully automated, using the Unison program. Computers in the library are hooked up to the Internet. Media machines of all types are available in the library or elsewhere in the building. The library is open to students both before and after school.

Academics
Franklin High School was named the fourth best high school in the State of Tennessee in 2005 by U.S. News and World Report. Franklin High School's daily schedule allows students to take six (6) classes and a study hall or seven (7) classes and no study hall. The school year has 180 days. Over the past 80 years Franklin High School has established a tradition of excellence. Test scores on ACT and SAT remain well above state and national averages. The average score for the ACT, which students are required to take in order to graduate is 22.7.  Franklin was the first school in Tennessee to be accepted into the International Baccalaureate Program.  

Tutoring
Franklin High tries to meet the needs of each student.  Sometimes that may mean offering additional help than the time constraints of class allows.  In addition to the many tutors for hire in the Williamson County area, there are many tutoring programs available for free through the school and various benevolent organizations.  Students should see their guidance counselor to discuss the best options.

Guidance
Guidance and Counseling: Counseling services are available to Franklin High School students through the guidance office. Career guidance, college admissions assistance, academic counseling, scholarship assistance, and personal counseling are some of the services available. Students are welcome to come by the guidance office before or after school to make an appointment, and parents may also make appointments to examine or discuss student's records. In most cases a student's assigned counselor will remain the same through out his/her stay at Franklin High School.

Special Education Services
Franklin High School has a broad range of special education services that serve the needs of students at both spectrums.