Richmond School Board hears proposal to add 6th grade class at Franklin Military Academy

By: Zachary Reid | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: April 07, 2009

Richmond school officials took a step forward tonight in addressing a long-running complaint about the city school system: a lack of options for middle-schoolers.

The School Board heard a proposal during its regular meeting for adding a sixth-grade class to Franklin Military Academy. If accepted, it would be the first step in a planned three-year expansion that would open the school to students in grades 6 to 12. The budget for next school year includes $25,000 to implement the program. That would cover uniforms and other supplies for up to 100 students.

"I think the public wants expanded choices for middle school," said Kimberly B. Gray, the vice-chairwoman of the school board. "In concept, there's a lot of support for this."

Next year, the city will have eight comprehensive middle schools. The only specialty option is the middle-years International Baccalaureate program at Lucille Brown Middle.

In a district with more than 4,600 middle-school students -- and thousands more who live in the city but don't go to public schools -- parents have long clamored for more specialized options.

In the three months she has been full-time superintendent, Yvonne W. Brandon has made increasing enrollment a priority. Last night, she said the focus would begin on the middle school level.

"That would no longer be a reason for people leaving us," she said.

Franklin, which opened in 1980 as Virginia's first public military high, combines a comprehensive core of academic classes with daily Junior ROTC training. It has about 200 students, well below the capacity of its home, the former Onslow Minnis Middle School in the East End. Minnis had about 450 students its final year, 2003-04, but it once regularly held 500 or more students.

The sixth grade class will be housed on the third floor, away from the high school students. Applications and other information will be distributed to elementary school students beginning next week.

Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or zreid@timesdispatch.com.