History[edit]
Franklin High School was established in 1910, with 1 teacher and 1 student in an arcade in the Franklin Grammar School, located in the center of Franklin, Tennessee.[5] The first graduating class, the class of 1912, consisted of 3 students. The first principal was Nell Shea. Franklin High School received its own building in 1926, and was located just outside the downtown area on Columbia Avenue. G.E. Craddock served as principal during the move, and brought 10 teachers and a senior class of 33 to the new building.[2]
In 1936, W.C. Yates became principal of Franklin High School. During his tenure, the school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1941, and increased the number of teachers to 13, and the graduating senior class to 53. Daly Thompson became principal in the early 1950s and Barry Sutton became principal in 1955.[2]
In January 1956, the Franklin High School building burned down, leaving only the gym and basement standing. The school moved to local churches while a new building was constructed. The new location, still used today, was on the opposite side of Franklin, and had 19 classrooms. This new building was designed by William Thomas Black, a famous architect in the area. At the new location the staff increased again to 19 teachers, and taught a graduating class of 72. The senior class grew to 184 by 1967, and had 42 staff members. Carl Owen became principal in 1967, but only served for one year. During this year, Franklin High School was integrated and combined with Natchez High School. D.W. Sanders became principal in 1968, and was replaced in 1971 by Carl Pike.[2]
Brentwood High School was opened in 1982, pulling students from Franklin High School. Bob Lawson became principal in 1987, but only served for a year. In 1988, Doug Crosier was named principal, and the school building was renovated. Centennial High School was opened in 1996 to relieve crowding in the growing Franklin area.[2] Dr. John Calton was principal for the 2000-01 school year, and after he resigned, Dr. Linda Miller was principal for a year. In 2002, Willie Dickerson was appointed principal served in the role for nearly 20 years until being promoted to a district-level administrative position.[6]
A new two-story Franklin High School was built between 2004 and 2006 on the site of the previous building. The construction cost $21 million. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house was held January 22, 2006.[7]
Franklin celebrated its 100th anniversary throughout the 2009–2010 school year including at its annual Homecoming festivities in October and at a special video presentation in April.[8]
In 2016, WCS began to develop a campus master plan for FHS including improved athletic facilities, a new access road for better vehicle circulation, and expanded classroom facilities, primarily through the acquisition of the former Columbia State Community College Franklin campus, which is located next to the high school.[9][10] At its March 13 meeting, the Williamson County Commission gave the former college campus to the district and approved $9 million for construction and renovations.[11] The first phase of these campus improvements was completed in January 2018, with the reopening of the former Columbia State building as the Franklin High School Annex.[12] The annex contains 16 traditional classrooms, in addition to science labs, administrative space, and a commons area. The new space can accommodate approximately 500 students.[13]
Franklin class of 1990 graduate Shane Pantall was named principal in 2020, following Dickerson's promotion to WCS executive director of secondary schools.[3]
Mascot[edit]
Franklin's original mascot from the school's opening in 1910 was a 6-headed Dragon. In 1937, the mascot was changed to a confederate "rebel" soldier.[14] According to former principal Willie Dickerson, the 1937 annual described the reason for the new mascot at the then-segregated, all-white school saying "there was no animosity of the past ... we uphold these ideals and believe them to be right."[15] Although Franklin kept its mascot as the Rebels until 2020, through the 2010s, the original cartoon of a confederate rebel was slowly phased out of school branding and school apparel. A big white "F" called the "Power F" encompassed by a maroon circle used to symbolize Franklin High School began to replace the cartoon during this time.[16] In July 2020, during the first week of principal Shane Pantall's tenure, a committee was formed to explore whether the school's mascot should be changed.[17] Superintendent Jason Golden accepted the committee's recommendation to change the school's mascot and on August 18, 2020, Pantall announced the new mascot as "the admirals."[18] According to Pantall, "The Admirals was chosen because Franklin High is touted by the students, faculty and alumni as ‘The Flagship’ school of Williamson County and is the oldest high school in the district."[19]
Academics and testing[edit]
Franklin High School was the first high school in Tennessee to offer the International Baccalaureate program.[20] The IB program combines a rigorous academic workload with community service hours and an extended essay.[21][22] The school also offers numerous AP and Honors courses to students to promote academic rigor.[23]
In 2013, the school had an average ACT score of 24.6. That year, 449 students took a combined 794 AP exams, earning an 84% passing rate (score of 3 or better).[2]
Additionally, the school offers career and technical education courses in several areas including digital arts, television and film production, early childhood education, culinary arts, autonomous vehicle coding, criminal justice, marketing, and automotive collision repair.[24]