Williamson County Schools (WCS) is a school district in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The district is currently made up of over 40,000 students attending 50 schools, including three new schools that opened as scheduled for the 2018–2019 school year. The district is rapidly growing, adding over 1000 new students each year. Students who live within the K–8 Franklin Special School District zone attend WCS high schools Centennial or Franklin after completing eighth grade. WCS is the sixth largest school district in Tennessee and offers a voluntary pre-K program for "at-risk children who are four (4) years of age on August 15." Communities in Williamson County Schools for K-12 include Brentwood, Fairview, Nolensville, Thompson's Station, the county's portion of Spring Hill, and outer portions of Franklin. For high school it covers the entire county, including the remainder of Franklin.

History

The school district began using the "Wit and Wisdom" curriculum in April 2020. Politically conservative activists criticized the curriculum, with the county division of Moms for Liberty first giving criticism, and with other groups lobbying the Tennessee Commissioner of Education to intervene. The website of Williamson County Schools stated that this curriculum does not include "critical race theory".

Administrators

Jason Golden, Superintendent Dave Allen, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TLA) Leslie Holman, Chief Financial Officer Vickie Hall, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Leigh Webb, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools Juli Oyer, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools Mark Samuels, Assistant Superintendent for Operations

School Board

The Williamson County Board of Education consists of 12 members, each elected from one of the 12 voting districts for a four-year term. Following the retirement of Gary Anderson, Nancy Garrett was elected chairman and KC Haugh vice chairman. First District: Angela Durham Second District: Dan Cash Third District: Eliot Mitchell Fourth District: Brad Fiscus Fifth District: Jennifer Aprea Sixth District: Jay Galbreath Seventh District: Sheila Cleveland Eighth District: Candy Emerson Ninth District: Rick Wimberly Tenth District: Eric Welch Eleventh District: KC Haugh, Vice Chairman Twelfth District: Nancy Garrett, Chairman Williamson County Schools made national news following a special session School Board meeting on August 10, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee. Ultimately a mask requirement for elementary school students, staff, and visitors was mandated. A viral video with millions of views shows parents yelling, "We know who you are. You can leave freely, but we will find you," “There’s a place for you guys — there’s a bad place in hell," and other negative remarks to doctors, nurses, and others who were in support of masks.

Schools

Elementary schools (K-5)

WCS operates 28 elementary schools. Creekside Elementary opened in fall 2019 and moved into its permanent building in early January 2020.

Middle schools (6-8)

WCS operates 12 middle schools. Legacy Middle School opened in fall 2020.

High schools (9-12)

WCS operates eleven high schools throughout the district. An additional high school was previously planned for 2022, according to the district's 2017 5-year capital outlay plan; however, the district has since chosen to renovate existing high schools to increase capacity in the short term. The district's 10-year building forecast now calls for a new high school opening in fall 2025.