Franklin High School (FHS) is a comprehensive four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Somerset section of Franklin Township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Franklin Township Public Schools.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,176 students and 185.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1. There were 762 students (35.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 177 (8.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 203rd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 263rd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 201st in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 150th out of 316 schools in 2008.
History
The original Franklin High School, now Franklin Middle School, was opened in 1961. Prior to that, the district sent its high school students to Princeton High School, Bound Brook High School, Highland Park High School, and New Brunswick High School among others. The original Franklin High School was designed to accommodate 1,600 students. By the mid 1990s, the student population had grown to over 2,000 making overcrowding a serious issue. In 2001, the residents of Franklin Township voted for the construction of a new High School. Construction began in 2002 and finished in September 2005. In that same month, the new Franklin High School opened its doors.
Among the persons who have served as Principal of Franklin High School are Orville Wilson, Dr. Howard Lucks, Dr. Neely Hackett, James Bevere, Dr. Thomas DiGanci as Interim Principal from September 2014 to June 2016, and Cheryl A. Clark. Dr. DiGanci was the former principal of Watchung Hills Regional High School, where he was employed as principal for forty years before retiring in 2012. Ron Brundidge also served as an interim principal. Cheryl A. Clark previously served as the principal of Irvington's University Elementary School in Irvington, NJ. In 2018, Frank Chmiel, who previously served as the school's vice principal was selected to be the new principal, serving until April 2021, when he accepted the position to become the educational leader of Princeton High School. At the time of his departure, his administration team included four vice principals and the athletic director. Dr. Nicholas Solomon, the principal of Franklin Middle School, was selected at the Board of Education's June 16, 2021 meeting to succeed Chimel.
Academics
Courses
FHS offers a wide selection of courses to suit all types of students. Honors level courses in the core content areas and in the areas of the Fine and Performing Arts and of Technology. The school offers business and vocational programs offering training and practical application in real world situations. Students can earn certification in Cisco Systems, acquire television production and studio recording skills, and participate in a variety of internship and co-op experiences offered through local area businesses. Students may choose to attend Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School either part-time or full-time. There students learn the core curriculum along with various skills such as auto shop and culinary arts.
The school offers an open Advanced Placement (AP) college-level courses. Any student can register for an AP course as along as he has completed the prerequisites. For example, it is not uncommon for sophomores to take AP United States History. The AP courses FHS has (as of the 21-22 school year) include:
Certain students who have completed the majority of courses in a department have a chance to take college courses in local colleges. In many cases, these courses will earn the student college credit that can be transferred to their college at the school's discretion. In the past, seniors have taken courses in Princeton University, Rutgers University, and Raritan Valley Community College.