ADVOCATES FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION INC
2001 LEON C SIMON DR, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70122 www.bfhsla.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL'S MISSION IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS OF HIGH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE.

SINCE 1957, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL HAS EDUCATED THE CITY'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST AND IS RANKED AS ONE OF THE TOP PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE NATION. THE FRANKLIN FAMILY FOSTERS A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ALL OF ITS STUDENTS, WHO GO INTO THE WORLD FULLY PREPARED FOR LIFE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND BEYOND.OUR SUCCESS STEMS FROM AN EXTRAORDINARY AND DIVERSE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH STUDENTS WORK, LEARN, AND GROW TOGETHER. THIS DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT INCLUDES 990 STUDENTS OF ALL ETHNIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, AND IS ONE OF THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF FRANKLIN THAT CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN OUR SCHOOL'S CULTURE TODAY. FRANKLIN IS NOTED FOR HAVING ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS IN THE NATION, WITH AN OUTSTANDING AVERAGE OF 25% OF OUR GRADUATING CLASS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, FRANKLIN IS THE TOP ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTING SCHOOL IN THE SOUTHERN REGION WITH 229 STUDENTS EARNING ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOLAR AWARDS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. OUR STUDENTS ARE RECRUITED BY MORE THAN 200 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES WHO VISIT OUR CAMPUS REGULARLY; AND ARE ACCEPTED BY THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN THE WORLD. OVER $35 MILLION IN MERIT-BASED COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED TO THE CLASS OF 2019. OUR SUCCESS STEMS FROM AN EXTRAORDINARY AND DIVERSE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. OUR STUDENTS WORK, LEARN, AND GROW TOGETHER. THE FRANKLIN EXPERIENCE ENCOURAGES EXPRESSION IN VISUAL AND MEDIA ARTS, VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, AND DRAMATIC ARTS, AS WELL AS INVOLVEMENT IN AN ABUNDANT ARRAY OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.WE ARE ALSO EXCEPTIONALLY PROUD OF OUR OUTSTANDING FACULTY AND STAFF WHO PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE FRANKLIN EXPERIENCE. OUR FACULTY COME FROM THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND THE WORLD TO CALL OUR SCHOOL HOME. THEY HAVE EARNED THEIR DEGREES FROM INSTITUTIONS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. FORTY-ONE HOLD MASTER'S DEGREES AND FIFTEEN HAVE PH.D. DEGREES IN SPECIALIZED FIELDS, AS WELL AS IN EDUCATION. EIGHT FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE EARNED THE DISTINCTION OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION AS WELL. OUR TEACHERS BRING THEIR DEVOTION, TALENT, AND INNOVATIONS TO THE COURSES THEY TEACH. AT FRANKLIN, WE KNOW THAT A GREAT EDUCATION IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF FRANKLIN STUDENTS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE CLASSROOM. WITH 20 COMPETITIVE SPORTS TEAMS AND OVER 70 CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS, OUR STUDENTS DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS, COMPETE IN LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. OUR FACULTY'S COMMITMENT STEMS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AS THEY SPONSOR CLUBS AND TEAMS THAT SPAN ACADEMICS, ARTS, ATHLETICS, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THEY STRIVE TO INSPIRE A BROAD RANGE OF INTERESTS IN OUR STUDENTS. AT FRANKLIN, WE BELIEVE A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION IS DEVELOPED BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.FINALLY, THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION HAVE IDENTIFIED THE IMPORTANCE OF FRANKLIN'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AS ANOTHER KEY ASPECT TO PROVIDING THE BEST EDUCATION TO OUR STUDENTS. AS A RESULT, THE SCHOOL'S NET ASSETS INCLUDE CASH RESERVES OF 50% OF THE SCHOOL'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET TO ENSURE BEN FRANKLIN WILL CONTINUE EDUCATING STUDENTS IN THE EVENT OF A NATURAL DISASTER LIKE HURRICANE KATRINA.ANOTHER IDENTIFIED KEY ASPECT OF PROVIDING THE BEST EDUCATION TO STUDENTS IS TO NOT HAVE AN ENROLLMENT WAIT-LIST, THEREFORE ACCEPTING EVERY STUDENT WHO MEETS THE SCHOOL'S LONG STANDING ADMISSIONS MATRIX. AS A RESULT OF CONTINUED ENROLLMENT GROWTH AND NEARING BUILDING CAPACITY, THE SCHOOL ENTERED INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS FOR CLASSROOM SPACE IN THE UNO'S EDUCATION BUILDING. ADDITIONALLY, A FACILITIES MASTER PLAN WAS COMPLETED IN JULY 2017 RECOMMENDING FIVE PHASES OF FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD INCREASE FRANKLIN'S LEARNING FOOTPRINT AND RENOVATE THE NOW 25-YEAR-OLD "NEW" CAMPUS. DURING THE 17-18 FISCAL YEAR, ROUGHLY $90K OF BOARD-APPROVED EXPENSES WERE INCURRED SPECIFIC TO THE MASTER PLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDED PHASES. TOWARD THE END OF THE 17-18 SCHOOL YEAR, THE SCHOOL ENTERED CONTRACTS TO BEGIN THE RECOMMENDED PHASE 1A ATHLETICS UPGRADES HAVING RECEIVED RESTRICTED GRANTS FROM THE BREES FOUNDATION, NFL FOUNDATION AND MANY OTHER DONORS FROM THE NEW ORLEANS COMMUNITY. THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION HAVE ALSO BEGUN STRATEGICALLY PLANNING THE REMAINING PHASES WHICH INCLUDE BUILDING AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TO PROVIDE STATE OF THE ART STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MATH) CLASSROOMS; RENOVATION OF THE CURRENT FACILITIES; BUILDING AN ADDITIONAL COMPETITION GYM AND PE CLASSROOMS; AND ANOTHER ACADEMIC BUILDING WITH CLASSROOMS TO CONTINUE MEETING THE FUTURE ANTICIPATED ENROLLMENT GROWTH. ACCOMPLISHING THE EXPANSION AND RENOVATION OF FRANKLIN'S LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER A 10 TO 12-YEAR PERIOD WITH AN ESTIMATED COST OF $60 MILLION. THIS INVESTMENT INTO FRANKLIN'S NEXT GENERATION OF STUDENTS WILL LIKELY INCLUDE LONG-TERM DEBT FINANCING AND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN(S) TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS SET FORTH IN THE MASTER PLAN.

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