Frankenmuth

FSD Ratings are TOPS, but the Reality is Even Better! By JoLynn Clark, Frankenmuth School District Interim Superintendent Last month, U.S. News & World Report recognized Frankenmuth High School Among the Top 15% of High Schools in America. This is the 19th year the magazine has published this list, and during that time, FHS has consistently earned top billing among high schools around the state and country. Landing as highly ranked as #4 in Michigan in 2014, and earning recognition for being a top STEM school in the US in 2019 when the methodology changed, Frankenmuth High School has long appreciated the spotlight these rankings shine on the hardworking students, dedicated staff, collaborative parents, and supportive community that makes Frankenmuth so special. But the numbers don't tell the whole story, and aer years of watching the fluctuations in these rankings, many wonder what's going on in the Frankenmuth Schools. The methodology used for this year's rankings consider data from the 2022-23 school year and place the highest value (30%) on the number of students who took and earned a qualifying score on at least one Advanced Placement exam that year. It places an additional value (10%) on the proportions of seniors that year who took and earned a qualifying score on more than one AP exam; more exams and higher scores are valued more highly in the computations. The process also considers performance and proficiency on state assessments and graduation rate from the 2022-23 school year. Frankenmuth School District's Interim Superintendent and long-time FHS Principal JoLynn Clark shared, "In any given year, FHS students request courses based on their interests and prospective pathways; some years that means we run more AP classes and other years we run more activity-based courses, but it allows us to meet the wide and evolving needs of students as we seek to provide something for every learner, every pathway." In the 2022-23 school year, the one reflected in US News' 2025 Rankings, Frankenmuth High School had 85 students enroll in an off-site Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at one of the three career centers FHS partnered with at that time: Saginaw Career Complex, Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center, and the Tuscola Technology Center's Insurance Academy. That number was up from the 2021-22 school year when 57 students enrolled in these partner programs and from 2020-21 when 40 students enrolled in CTE programs. This school year, 75 students are be enrolled in programs at BAISDCC and SCC, and Saginaw Career Com- plex has now taken over the Insurance Academy. "These CTE opportunities oen carry credit earning and certification potential of their own," Clark said, "but since they require students to be off site for three hours a day, they can limit opportunities for AP course selection at FHS, which could be a variable from year to year in regards to rankings that focus heavily on the number of AP courses and exams taken." Although the number reflected in the rankings might not top the charts, the variety of options and opportunities available at Frankenmuth High School is impressive. In addition to core academics, CTE partnership programs, and Advanced Placement classes, FHS also offers Dual Enrollment, Career and Technical Education on-site in business-related classes, Draing, Debate and Forensics, German, Spanish, Engineering, Aviation (drone and ground), Robotics, Co-Op and Internships (work-based learning), Fine Arts classes, Wood Shop, Fitness, about 25 clubs and student activities, and more than 20 sports. These opportunities would not be possible without parents, staff, students, and a community that value education and support the schools and programs. The estimated District enrollment at the time of publication is just shy of 1400 students K-12, and with the ongoing support provided here, each of these Eagles has a bright future ahead. 12

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