Rumor Mill – January 26, 2018

Published January 26, 2018

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 InFocus. Below are some of the questions we have received since our last issue.

Thank you for hosting the Facebook Live event with Dr. Looney. It was very informational. Do you plan to hold another one soon?

Yes, our next Lunch with the Leadership Facebook Live event will be held Tuesday, February 20 at noon. Be sure to tune in by following the Williamson County Schools Facebook Page.

I have heard that the new Thompson’s Station Middle School will only organize the following team sports for the 2018-2019 school year: football, basketball, baseball and soccer. Can you confirm? This will exclude a large population of male and female student athletes who run cross country, track, play volleyball, tennis, wrestle or golf. Not all sports have a hefty equipment fee like football, and I would like for the school administrators to reconsider if this particular rumor is true.

We fully anticipate that Thompson’s Station Middle School will offer opportunities for the same sports as all other WCS middle schools, however it is difficult to know at this time whether or not we will be able to offer all levels for each team (varsity, junior varsity, sixth grade). During the first year of building a new athletic program, there may be a few sports such as tennis and wrestling that may not have enough student interest to create a team. In this case, the plan is to partner with a local WCS middle school to assist the student(s) in joining another school’s team.

Is it true the Wades Grove neighborhood will only be zoned to Bethesda Elementary for one year and then be zoned to Thompson’s Station Elementary?

That is not true. Wades Grove will be zoned to Bethesda Elementary until another school is built in the area.

It has come to my attention that in School Board Policy 4.301, there is a clause that reads, “Schools may not authorize student field trips for participation in club sports activities.” However, each principal is either making it unexcused or an excused absent, which is not consistent. Can you clarify?

As you may know, the Tennessee Department of Education this year changed its definition of chronic absenteeism. According to the State, students who miss more than 10 percent of the school year (eight per year), regardless of the reason (excused or unexcused), are considered chronically absent.

As a result, the school district has changed its requirements relating to documentation of absences. Schools will accept a parent-written note for up to four absences per semester. Thereafter, schools will require more formal documentation to determine if an absence will be excused.

When discussing club sports – which are not sanctioned by the TSSAA – absences may sometimes vary among students. For instance, if a student already has eight absences, an absence for anything other than those allowed by School Board Policy 6.200 should be counted as unexcused. However, if a student has zero absences, he/she could miss eight times for swim meets and his/her parents could write an excuse note every time.

When will out of transportation zone forms be available for the 2018-19 school year?

If approved at the February School Board meeting, the form will be placed online beginning February 20. All requests except those regarding residential moves will be due by Tuesday, May 15. Please note that if an out of zone request is approved, transportation to and from school is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.

Why is it so difficult for the public and private schools to coordinate their school calendars in Williamson County and the state of Tennessee? It’s certainly very inconvenient for family’s with students in both public and private schools to have different dates for fall break, Christmas break, and spring break. Plus, it’s difficult for families with friends and neighbors having different school calendars. It’s extremely difficult for elementary and middle school sports team students to field a full team when public school students are out of town one week then private school students are out of town another week.

There are more than 140 public school districts in Tennessee and each one does its best to coordinate its calendar to the wishes of its community while also making sure State law is followed regarding the number of instructional days, etc. For instance, some districts follow a year-round calendar which includes a shorter summer break, while others have a two-week Fall Break. On top of that, there are more than 500 private schools, not all of which are required to follow the same State guidelines and testing schedule.

In Williamson County, the district’s calendar committee begins the process of creating the calendar in September as it tries to best meet the needs of the district’s nearly 40,000 students. The proposed calendar is then vetted throughout the fall semester and generally approved by the Board of Education in January.