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Budget and Bills among Topics at Let’s Talk School

Published March 4, 2015

Williamson County parents had plenty of questions for School Board members and staff at the March 3 Let’s Talk School community meeting.

Dozens turned out for the event at Brentwood High, which began with a briefing from Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney. Looney told parents this year’s ACT composite score for the district will likely surpass last year’s record-breaking score of 23.5.

Looney also updated parents on the budget process for the 2015-16 school year. The district’s proposed budget of approximately $289 million cuts no programs and reflects a 4.4 percent increase from the 2014-2015 budget. It also factors in a five percent pay increase for all school district employees. The budget must be submitted to the County Commission by April 1.

Deputy Superintendent Jason Golden gave those in attendance a brief construction update on projects which include three new schools – Mill Creek Elementary, Mill Creek Middle and Nolensville High – which are set to open in fall 2016. The most recent school to open in WCS was Clovercroft Elementary in 2011. The five-year gap between school openings will have been the longest in the district since the early 1980s.

Following the briefing, School Board members were divided into groups of two and stationed in three classrooms, where they held three, 12-minute informational sessions for parents. Jay Galbreath and Bobby Hullett were stationed in one classroom, Beth Burgos and PJ Mezera were in another, and Candy Emerson and Rick Wimberly were in the third.

This gave parents the opportunity to ask questions about everything from growth and the budget to current legislation that might affect Williamson County. The night ended with a Q-and-A session in the library. Superintendent Looney says it’s important to hold events like this to get valuable feedback.

“This gives us a chance to meet with parents, students and community members and answer their questions face-to-face,” said Looney. “They can talk to us about what’s important, what their concerns are and celebrate our successes. It’s a gauge of what the community thinks about our schools.”