After a vote to break the tax cap, and then a reversal of that decision, the Franklin City Council Wednesday night finalized a school budget for the next year. But it still falls short of what the school board requested.
Steve Bunker's been in Franklin for fourteen years. His three kids go to the city's public schools.
He wanted the tax cap broken. In that scenario, the school district would have received most of the money it had asked for. But without that, Bunker says these budget shortfalls mean layoffs and staff turnover, which in turn, means his kids aren’t sure which teacher they’ll have the following school year.
"I feel so defeated,” Bunker said. “I feel like I failed my children by moving to Franklin. That's why a lot of people are bailing."
Maybe even Bunker and his family. He's considering Concord or even farther south.
"I'm willing to pay the property taxes that I need to pay to give my kids a good education. A good solid start in life," he said.
Bunker's planning on having a realtor come look at his house in the next few days.
