Stacy & Mark Weeks

FRA is a special place. We moved to Nashville in 2005 and began looking for a school for our family. We knew we wanted strong academics, a Christian environment, class sizes small enough that each faculty member could get to know our children, and a strong community of people. We found that at Franklin Road Academy.

The goal for our children was to gain a high-quality education and also have the opportunity to join athletic teams, participate in the arts, and be involved in philanthropic work because we knew those opportunities would allow them to build additional skillsets they would need throughout their lives.

At FRA , our children were able to express themselves in all areas of the school to see where they could grow and challenge themselves to be better. This was a safe place for them to do that with full support of the faculty and staff. Our children still talk about the faculty members who had a really positive impact on them and who were great Christian mentors through how they lived. This is especially meaningful.

Our children have graduated, but we continue to make FRA a top philanthropic priority because we feel passionately about education and about the school. We strongly believe in the mission of FRA and the product it puts out. One of the best things we can do for the next generation is to provide them with an excellent education. We benefited from people before us giving to FRA so that our kids could have a full educational experience. And to us, helping the next generation of FRA students in that same way is very important.

As parents of alumni and having been involved on the Board of Trustees, we also know the importance of the annual fund and the capital campaign, and we are passionate about both. Independent schools strive to provide affordable tuition to as many families as possible. To do that, most independent schools set the tuition at a level that covers basic operating expenses of the school. It is important to support the annual fund as well as the capital campaign, if possible, because tuition does not cover new facilities like the new student center or renovated chapel. It also does not provide for new programming and spaces like the Innovation Lab and DNA Lab. These endeavors require funding through philanthropic support. With strong financial support, FRA is able to provide the quality of facilities needed to reflect the education our children are receiving. We are passionate about the Weicker Center for Student Life in particular because we see that as a space where students, families, faculty, and other members of our community can come together. The community environment is one of the special things about FRA , and we see that new facility taking it to an even greater level.

Our hope for Franklin Road Academy is that it continues to produce graduates who are inspired and equipped to make the world a better place. FRA is better than it has ever been – the focus of academics remains strong, and the community continues after graduation. We hope parents, grandparents, and alumni feel that they can return and be part of the community, stay involved, and are gratified that they are part of a school that is thriving. We see the positive things our graduates are doing as they become adults and enter the workforce.

The vision we have is that FRA is a place to be proud of, a place where positive energy is felt, a place where alumni can say without hesitation that FRA is “my school.”