This will not be Donisi’s first stint as a school board member.
She served on the Franklin board from 2015 to 2018 when she resigned due to increased job demands. She was assistant superintendent for Clinton-Massie Local Schools at the time.
Donisi said her experience both as an educator and with Franklin City Schools will allow her to step into the board member role without much of a learning curve.
“I know the system. I know the curriculum. I know the staff,” Donisi said.
The board voted 3-0 to appoint Donisi. Board member Rachel Ruppert-Wolfinbarger abstained.
Blevins, who was appointed to the board in February 2025 and elected to the post in November, cited personal reasons for her resignation.
Donisi will be sworn in at the board’s March 23 meeting.
She returns to the district in the midst of it trying to convince voters to support a 1% traditional income tax levy on the May 5 ballot.
The district has made more than $11 million in cuts over the last two years in the face of fiscal challenges, including cutting busing to state-mandated minimums, eliminating all-day kindergarten and staff reductions.
It projects a negative cash balance by the 2029 fiscal year if new funding isn’t found.
Donisi is no stranger to school funding issues.
During her career in Franklin, she said she’s been through seven failed levy attempts.
“I get it,” she said. “I’m sure the community feels stressed and strapped.”
Donisi will serve until the next regular school board election in November 2027.
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