Board Approves List of 2023-24 Open-Zoned Schools

Published January 18, 2023

The Williamson County School Board approved the list of open-zoned schools for the 2023-24 school year at its January 17 meeting. Students who attend school out-of-zone must provide their own transportation.

The School Board also gave priority approval to a group of rising ninth graders. Those students must attend a Williamson County or Franklin Special School District middle school where less than 15 percent of its students are zoned to a different high school other than their classmates. Students in that small group may choose to attend the out-of-zone high school in the feeder pattern prior to any open-zone requests being granted and provided that the high school has the capacity and is eligible for open zoning.

This applies to Page Middle eighth graders who are zoned to Centennial High. They now have first priority for the 100 open seats at Page High. Eighth graders at Freedom Middle in the Franklin Special School District who are zoned to Franklin High will have first priority to Centennial High's 219 seats.

As part of a law passed last year, school districts are required to identify each school that has space available to serve additional students and post those vacancies on the district website two weeks before accepting applications.

The district is required to conduct a lottery to select students if the number of applicants exceeds the space available in a school building. The application process is no longer first-come, first-serve.

Applicants must be Williamson County School District residents, and, if approved, must provide transportation to and from school. To request that a student attend a school they are not zoned for, families must complete the Out of Zone online application. The application will open on February 1 and remain available until April 15 for all requests except those related to residential moves and International Baccalaureate program of study applications.

Students currently approved to attend out-of-zone schools who are not changing buildings do not need to reapply. All rising sixth and ninth-grade students roll up to their zoned schools until the out-of-zone application is approved. 

Grandfathering after a school rezoning is not automatic. All students affected by the rezoning are enrolled in the newly zoned school until the out-of-zone application is submitted and approved. Please note that out-of-zone students are not eligible for bus service.

Additional information about the open-zoned schools as well as the list of available open-zoned spots for each school can be found on the WCS School Zones page of our website. Once available, the online application may also be accessed from this page.

Published January 18, 2023

The Williamson County School Board approved the list of open-zoned schools for the 2023-24 school year at its January 17 meeting. Students who attend school out-of-zone must provide their own transportation.

The School Board also gave priority approval to a group of rising ninth graders. Those students must attend a Williamson County or Franklin Special School District middle school where less than 15 percent of its students are zoned to a different high school other than their classmates. Students in that small group may choose to attend the out-of-zone high school in the feeder pattern prior to any open-zone requests being granted and provided that the high school has the capacity and is eligible for open zoning.

This applies to Page Middle eighth graders who are zoned to Centennial High. They now have first priority for the 100 open seats at Page High. Eighth graders at Freedom Middle in the Franklin Special School District who are zoned to Franklin High will have first priority to Centennial High's 219 seats.

As part of a law passed last year, school districts are required to identify each school that has space available to serve additional students and post those vacancies on the district website two weeks before accepting applications.

The district is required to conduct a lottery to select students if the number of applicants exceeds the space available in a school building. The application process is no longer first-come, first-serve.

Applicants must be Williamson County School District residents, and, if approved, must provide transportation to and from school. To request that a student attend a school they are not zoned for, families must complete the Out of Zone online application. The application will open on February 1 and remain available until April 15 for all requests except those related to residential moves and International Baccalaureate program of study applications.

Students currently approved to attend out-of-zone schools who are not changing buildings do not need to reapply. All rising sixth and ninth-grade students roll up to their zoned schools until the out-of-zone application is approved. 

Grandfathering after a school rezoning is not automatic. All students affected by the rezoning are enrolled in the newly zoned school until the out-of-zone application is submitted and approved. Please note that out-of-zone students are not eligible for bus service.

Additional information about the open-zoned schools as well as the list of available open-zoned spots for each school can be found on the WCS School Zones page of our website. Once available, the online application may also be accessed from this page.