Franklin Township Community School Corporation launched its first Community Ambassadors session, a new program designed to provide an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at district operations.
Superintendent Dr. Chase Huotari led an interactive presentation and Q&A session on the goals of Community Ambassadors, FTCSC’s Strategic Plan, mission, district facts and figures (including facts like our buses travel 6,474 miles every day), and the roles of the School Board and district leadership.
Dr. Huotari also explained how school budgets work and their impact on Franklin Township. A simple way to remember it is 3-2-1:
3 main funds: Education Fund, Operations Fund, and Debt Service Fund.
2 revenue sources: primarily state income/sales taxes and local property taxes.
1 unique challenge: Franklin Township is 85% residential, meaning most of our taxable base is capped at 1%, unlike the much larger portion of 2% (farmland/apartments) and 3% (commercial) caps that many other districts receive in addition to their 1% housing—creating funding challenges that are most visible in areas like salaries and benefits.
He outlined the legal restrictions tied to each fund (for example, Debt Service dollars for facilities cannot be used for Education Fund expenses, such as staff pay) and previewed additional funding shortfalls anticipated from new legislation, including SEA 1. Dr. Huotari also shared enrollment growth data, noting FTCSC added 150 students this year, continuing a multi-year trend.
The evening concluded with a myth-busting activity addressing common misconceptions about FTCSC and school funding. It was an incredible night of presentation, questions, and conversation.
We look forward to the final three Community Ambassadors sessions in the 2025–2026 school year. To learn more about the program, which covers topics such as budgeting, transportation, programming, and staffing, and how to participate, please contact Dr. Kent Pettet, Executive Director of Communications, at kent.pettet@ftcsc.org.