The Williamson County Commission will vote on two resolutions today, Monday, that approve more than $50 million for land and construction on two new schools.
Two weeks ago, the Williamson County Education Committee voted to recommend the Commission approve the funds, which may not see opposition but will certainly be scrutinized by the commission.
The first resolution asks the county to approve up to $15 million for the “design, development and land purchase” of a K-8 school in the northern part of the county. The second, which will fund the continued construction of a Thompson’s Station elementary-middle school, releases $38.7 million.
At its August meeting, the School Board approved the requests and sent them over to the county for approval.
“Due to growth in the northern part of the county, there is a need to design a new K-8 facility, purchase land and begin construction as soon as possible to meet the demand of our growing student population,” read the resolution concerning the land purchase.
It also said the district plans for a 2018 opening and will use designs from previous construction of K-8 facilities. It will be modified to meet the site characteristics.
Some commission members at the Education Committee meeting wanted to delve a bit more into the numbers.
“I want to understand the ultimate cost per student, what they are targeting and what is their goal. Are they trying to build it efficiently?” Todd Kaestner, county commissioner for District Nine and Education Committee member, said.
Kaestner said the cost per student for building the new Nolensville schools came in a bit higher than the previous schools, which had been about $25,000. He also said at first look the numbers the school board asked for seem high.
The price for the land, which is in Brentwood, has not yet been finalized.
“We’ve been negotiating with the owner,” Superintendent Mike Looney said at the school board meeting on Aug. 15. “We can’t publicly discuss the details. We remain a pretty good ways apart on the price point. This is necessary because all of the elementary schools in Brentwood proper are over capacity. It’s going to continue to put a strain on the process.”
Right now, Edmondson, Kenrose, Lipscomb and Scales elementary schools are near or over capacity.
The Thompson’s Station elementary project is already under way on Clayton Arnold Road south of Critz Lane, with the total cost for the new school coming to $38.7 million. According to the resolution, the project has been bid and engineered.
If construction proceeds on schedule, the school will open in August 2018.
Concerned about future cost of funding schools, the county is continuing the process of implementing an Educational Impact Fee, with a public meeting on the proposed fee scheduled for Wednesday.
According to the Williamson County Schools five-year capital projects report for 2015-2020, the district still needs just shy of $200 million for new school construction over the next four years for five schools.
In addition to the two projects addressed in these two resolutions, the district outlay plan includes plans for three more schools.
They include an Early Childhood Development Facility, in 2016-2017, for a total of an estimated $5 million; a northwest-county middle and high school complex, for construction in 2019-2020 for $90 million; and a south central-county elementary and middle school, in 2019-2020, for $42 million.
The county scheduled public hearings on the potential Education Impact Fee, which would add a one-time fee to all new houses built in the county, in the coming days.
The first meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Independence High School Auditorium. The second will be at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the county administrative complex auditorium, and the third and final meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 in the Nolensville High School auditorium.
