MiddletownJournal.com

FRANKLIN — The journey to a high school diploma now includes 20 hours of community service for Franklin High School students.

The Franklin Board of Education approved the service as part of changes to graduation requirements at its regular meeting Monday evening.

Twenty hours of community service will have to be earned between the beginning of 10th grade and the end of the first semester of 11th grade.

Students who do not serve the hours will not be able to participate in the commencement ceremony, though the superintendent will consider waiving the requirement for individual students based on their circumstances.

The school board also approved a new grading policy for students grades three through 12, adjusting the percentage to earn an "F" from 69 percent to 59 percent and adjusting other percentages.

The board also recognized students who exhibited good citizenship and scholarship and made their school a better place last year.

The middle school "Wildcat of the Year" award is given to students who previously were nominated as student of the month by their team of teachers.

Seventh-grade students Lexie Poffenberger and Oscar Romero and eighth-graders Addie Roberts and Jacob Rinehart were recognized.

"Top Cat" awards also were presented to district employees Maria Shockley, Pam Holliday, Peg Hostetter and Caroline Ferguson. The employees were nominated by their peers for the award.

The board also:

• Approved a resolution to support "Getting It Right! for Ohio's Future" to change the way schools are funded.

• Discussed establishing a Phyllis

*Darragh Memorial Library Fund in honor of the late Franklin Twp. trustee to purchase library books for elementary schools.

Franklin's new grading scale

A: 92-100 percent

B: 82-91 percent

C: 70-81 percent

D: 60-69 percent

F: 59 percent or lower

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or mengle@coxohio.com.