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Tax Decrease Won't Stop Franklin-Simpson Success

Posted: 4:43 PM Aug 22, 2012
Reporter: Lauren Forsythe

Tax Decrease Won't Stop Franklin-Simpson Success

When the Simpson County School System voted not to take a much needed four-percent tax increase for the first time in nine years last week, it left some community members wondering why.

While others say it shows the community doesn't have faith in the school board.

"I have a sense of disappointment in our school system and particularly our high school looking at the test results that we've had," says Don Halcomb, a former Simpson County School Board member, "It's hard to say I want to pay more taxes for a school system I don't have a lot of confidence in."

Halcomb says it's not all about the money.

"I don't think it's the money that makes something successful. And maybe as a community the way we show our disappointment is we don't increase our tax rate," Halcomb says.

But the principal of Franklin-Simpson High School is saying it's not as it looks.

2011 resulted in low test scores for the high school, but he says things are improving.

"We were designated a priority school last January and we are making steps in the right direction to rectify that problem," says Franklin-Simpson High School Principal Tim Schlosser.

"You look at this years ACT scores that were released today, you know we went up .8 of a point in the ACT," says Schlosser

The high school had an 18.5 average score for the ACT, and while that is still under the state average, it does show improvement from the year before.

Last year's senior class averaged a 17.7.

"I'm excited about the way school year has started. The students have been great. The faculty and staff has been tremendous. Teachers have done a great job and I have no doubt that Franklin-Simpson High School is going in the right direction," Schlosser says.

Just last week, the high school had 99 percent attendance, something Principal Schlosser is calling a "win."

While things seem to be improving in Simpson County, there is still not a budget for new textbooks, and about half the budget for after school tutoring.