Rumor Mill-5344
Published March 7, 2013
The purpose of this section is to answer any questions parents, teachers or community members might have regarding the school district and to set the record straight in regards to any rumors that might be circulating.
If you have a question or have heard a rumor that you would like for us to address, simply SEND US your questions and we will respond to them in upcoming issues of IN FOCUS. Below are some of the questions we have received since our last issue.
When will Open Enrollment options be posted for 2013/2014?
The Williamson County School Board is expected to determine open zoned schools at its March 18 meeting. The information will be posted online shortly thereafter and featured in the March 21 issue of IN FOCUS.
Why doesn't the county enforce TN 49-6-3001(c) that says 6 year olds must be enrolled in school? I attended a Kindergarten tour of my zoned school recently. There were several parents there whose kids are turning 6 in March/April but will be enrolling in Kindergarten in August. Shouldn't those children by law already be enrolled in school? How is that fair to my child/the teacher/ or the other child to be in school with kids more than a year older than he is?
Children turning six years of age in March/April would enroll at the beginning of the next practical time for a school term, which for WCS is August. The law is permissive as to students who are five at the beginning of the school year, which is the scenario you describe (i.e. five at the beginning of the school year, turning six in March/April). Those students may enroll, but it is not mandatory, and are only allowed to enroll if such enrollment is within 30 days of the school year starting.
I am curious if you might share some insight on what the new NE High School in Nolensville slated to open in Fall 2015 has on future rezoning? This is VERY important to us as our family resides in Shadow Creek and our neighborhood has seen multiple rezoning in the past. Most recently we were zoned into a "clean feeder pattern" of Edmondson Elementary, Brentwood Middle and Brentwood High under the 5-year plan adopted in 2010.
It is my understanding that the new school is primarily to alleviate overcrowding of Ravenwood High. And everything I read discusses Sunset Elementary and Middle as a feeder to the new school. However, based on past history I do have tremendous concern over whether our subdivision could be rezoned to either the new Nolensville High School or even back to Ravenwood?
I also understand that the establishment of the new zone lines won't be complete until about a year before the new high school opens … BUT, I am also certain that this particular area (6-2) was given MUCH consideration during past discussions and rezoning studies BASED ON ITS LOCATION in Brentwood--- close to Ravenwood, yet near Nolensville.
Surely, we wouldn't be pulled out of Ravenwood to attend Brentwood ONLY to be rezoned to Nolensville HS? With our proximity to Edmondson being one-half a mile, it seems the 'clean feeder' would certainly remain?
At this time, it is too early to discuss the effect a new northeast area high school would have on future rezoning. While the district has purchased the land, the County Commission has not funded the construction of the building at this time.
The district will establish zone lines no less than a year before the school opens. The northeast high school projected opening remains on the School Board's Five Year Capital Outlay Plan as the fall of 2015. Construction of a high school takes about 1.5 years, so actual construction would need to begin about January of 2014 if the school is to open in the fall of 2015.