WCS Teachers Participate in Virtual Learning Conference

Published February 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.

I have been following the proposed development in downtown Brentwood with some concern. Given the 393 apartments already approved in the Tapestry project (equivalent to a large subdivision), and the additional proposed 300 more units, how will this affect the Williamson County school system? Specifically, what plans are in place should the additional units be approved in terms of overcrowding and rezoning at Lipscomb Elementary, Brentwood Middle, Brentwood High School and Scales Elementary?

Right now only garages have been constructed, but our zoning department has been in contact with the City of Brentwood regarding this development. Based upon the description of the development, the district does not expect a major influx of students in the near future.

When determining projections for individual schools enrollments, the district compares current developments using a student per household factor with build out and time. We continuously monitor growth and development in all parts of the county and we are in close contact with development offices in all municipalities.

There were rumors in the past saying that WCS would add a second language to its curriculum K-12 in the 2013-2014 school year. The final decision was between Chinese or Spanish. Have they taken any decision? Will we have a second language offered next year?

A decision has not been made yet. The Williamson County School Board will discuss the issue this month. WCS has been working to determine the best curriculum, instructional practices and organization of foreign language instruction for elementary students.

Educators are currently working to develop a curriculum for both Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Once the district has enough information to make the best choice for students, recommendations will be taken to the School Board for action.

What are the long term plans for the Pinewood Elementary site? I have heard the county would like to see this as a school for Special Education Children, is there any truth to this rumor?

In 2012, the Williamson County School Board approved deeding the Pinewood property to the County, with WCS keeping use of the buildings for storage. Williamson County Emergency Management is constructing a rural fire hall on the property to serve the local community.

WCS is currently using the Pinewood buildings for storage and management of instructional materials such as textbooks, high school theater props and other storage. The former school library is also being used by the County on election days as a polling site. The electricity, water and security systems at the building remain active. We have no immediate plans for any other use of the building.

I read with interest an article in today's Tennessean an article about the 95-acre parcel in Nolensville upon which WCS plans to build its newest high school. Our kids attend Page High School and will graduate before the planned Fall 2015 opening of the new school, but I was curious as to the county's plans for Page High once the new high school opens. (The location, York Rd. at Nolensville Rd., appears to be within the current Ravenswood school zone, but I recognize that Page is the older of the two schools.) Does the district plan to rezone students from Page High to the new school once it opens?

There are no plans at this time to rezone students from Page High to the new Nolensville area high school once it opens.

Lately, it's taking me 30 minutes to get home after leaving Clovercroft Elementary during rush hour pick-up after school. Our subdivision is just three miles from the school. When turning from Clovercroft Rd. to northbound Wilson Pike, there isn't a turn signal at the next major intersection (McEwen & Wilson). Sometimes there are 20-40 cars lined up and only one car turns left onto McEwen, with each green light. Do you know if there are any plans to add a turn signal? I imagine the morning commuters face a similar issue. When the school first opened, the county was very good about adding lights and checking the traffic pattern.

There are plans in place for the widening of Wilson Pike which would allow for a left turn onto McEwen Drive. Construction would also include the addition of a new traffic signal and widening the intersection approach to Wilson Pike. Questions regarding the timetable for completion of this project should be sent to the City of Franklin.

In addition, we always encourage students to utilize our bus service. The use of WCS transportation is an effective way to cut down on the amount of traffic near each school.