The Franklin Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Franklin Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Franklin Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Franklin Township Public Schools, adopted August 24, 2017. Accessed December 25, 2025. "Purpose The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Franklin Township School District. Composition The Franklin Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Franklin Township."
As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,352 students and 684.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.7:1.District information for Franklin Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
History In December 2014, a referendum was held in Franklin and was passed by voters (1,971 in favor and 1,477 against)One Less Move - Archives Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed August 3, 2019 to fix the overcrowding issues in all the district's schools (except for the High School) and for facility upgrades and additions so that they could eliminate the use of modular classrooms (trailers). It was projected that over 700 new students would come to the district as a result of new housing developments being built around the township. The grade level structure would be reconfigured so that students in the district would only have to move between schools twice instead of three times (in other words attending three schools instead of four), hence the name "One Less Move". All of Franklin's elementary schools had previously housed students in grades PreK–4, but after the reconfiguration they each now have 5th grade.
To fix the overcrowding issues at the district's six elementary schools, Claremont Elementary School, a seventh elementary school, was built and opened in time for the 2018–19 school year, and Elizabeth Avenue and Hillcrest Elementary Schools were expanded with new classroom wings. Also in terms of facility additions, an additional gym and a new main office were built at Franklin Middle School at Sampson G. Smith as part of the referendum.
In those schools and all the others (excluding the High School), upgrades were made to replace aging and old bathrooms, windows, doors, parking lot repaving, new playgrounds and outside playing fields, exterior lighting, and electrical systems, just to name a few.
Before the 2018-19 school year, Franklin Middle School at Sampson G. Smith was called Sampson G. Smith Intermediate School, for students in grades 5–6 and Franklin Middle School at Hamilton Street was called Franklin Middle School, for students in grades 7–8.
The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "GH", the third-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
Awards and recognition For the 1993-94 school year, Hillcrest Elementary School was named as a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 26, 2009. The school was honored again in the 1995-96 school year.Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed December 3, 2009.
The NAMM Foundation named the district in its 2009 survey of the "Best Communities for Music Education", which included 124 school districts nationwide."Nationwide Survey Finds the 'Best Communities for Music Education' in U.S." , NAMM, April 16, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2009.
Schools Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Franklin Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.) are:District Schools Information and Hours, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025.Public Schools Directory 2024–2025, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed December 1, 2025.School Performance Reports for the Franklin Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 25, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for the Franklin Township Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Elementary schools Claremont Elementary SchoolClaremont Elementary School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (666 students; in grades PreK–5) Miguel Rivera, principal Conerly Road SchoolConerly Road School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (333; PreK–5) David Heras, principal Elizabeth Avenue SchoolElizabeth Avenue School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (561; PreK–5) Greg Romero, principal Franklin Park SchoolFranklin Park School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (635; PreK–5) Evelyn Rutledge, interim principal Hillcrest SchoolHillcrest School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (452; PreK–5) Lorri Vaccaro, principal MacAfee Road SchoolMacAfee Road School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (420; PreK–5) Karen Adams, principal Pine Grove Manor SchoolPine Grove Manor School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (379; PreK–5) Edgar Vazquez Molina, principal Middle schools Franklin Middle School at Hamilton Street CampusFranklin Middle School At Hamilton Street Campus, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (667; 6–8) Nubeja Allen, principal Franklin Middle School at Sampson G. Smith CampusFranklin Middle School At Sampson G. Smith Campus, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (714; 6–8) Rebekah Solomon, principal High school Franklin High SchoolFranklin High School, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. (2,200; 9–12) Genesi Miles, principal
Administration Core members of the district's administration are:New Jersey School Directory for Somerset County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Jamil Maroun, superintendent Brian Bonanno, business administrator and board secretaryBusiness Office, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025.
Maroun replaced John Ravally who retired in June 2026. The district's Assistant Superintendent, Daniel Loughran, served as Interim Superintendent during the summer of 2026 until Maroun, previously the superintendent in nearby Manville, started in September 2026.
Board of education The district's board of education, composed of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. As of November 2025, elected members are Nicolas DiMeglio, Dennis Hopkins, Jr. Erika Inocencio, William "Bill" Grippo, Laurie Merris, Jimmie Parker, Meher Pervaaz-Rafiq, Jennifer Welch, Clara Wilson. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Franklin Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2024. Accessed December 25, 2025. "The Franklin Township School District is a Type II District located in Somerset County, New Jersey. The District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The District is governed by a nine member board elected to three-year terms and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 13.Board of Education, Franklin Township Public Schools. Accessed December 25, 2025. "The nine members of the Board of Education are elected for three-year terms and serve without any pay or benefits as other elected officials."
References
External links Franklin Township Public Schools
School Data for the Franklin Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics