Metro Nashville Public Schools has seen significant enrollment growth, leading to near or overcapacity in several schools, and the numbers are projected to increase in the next two years. District leaders told News 2 the growth prompted the need for change.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Hundreds of Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) students might have to change schools by the upcoming academic year. The district will start community meetings next week to discuss the proposed zoning changes.
MNPS has seen significant enrollment growth, leading to near or overcapacity in several schools, and the numbers are projected to increase in the next two years. District leaders told News 2 the growth prompted the need for change.
“Some of the areas that were higher population 20 years ago or 10 years ago are a little different now,” MNPS Chief of Communications and Technology Sean Braisted explained, “and so we have to keep looking at that and see where we have capacity at certain schools and overcapacity in other schools and make sure that’s balanced.”
“The idea behind it is basically to make kids be closer to the schools that they’re naturally going to be feeding into within the system,” District 16 Metro Councilwoman Ginny Welsch, who represents one of the areas impacted by the potential rezoning, said. “I think that that makes kids and will make kids feel more like they’re part of a neighborhood and a community. They’ll be closer to the kids that they go to school with every day.”
By the 2025-2026 school year, MNPS proposes rezoning Julia Green Elementary School, currently in Hillsboro, to the new Percy Priest Elementary School, which is set to open in August 2025.
“There’s a small sliver of population that is currently zoned for Julia Green that will be rezoned for the brand new Percy Priest Elementary that opens up next year,” Braisted said. “That will alleviate some enrollment capacity at Julia Green.”
In Glencliff, the plan is to move the Antioch-zoned Margaret Allen Middle School into the Glencliff cluster. Elementary students from Fall-Hamilton, Glenview, Napier, and Whitsitt would also feed into the school.
Paragon Mills Elementary School is scheduled for completion in August 2025.
“We are going to be able to take some of that growth from the outer clusters so kids don’t have to deal with overcrowding in their schools,” Welsch said. “It is natural because we are all contiguous and these schools are actually closer to one another.”
Antioch students from Una Elementary School would transition to Apollo Middle School. Smith Springs Elementary School students would be split between Apollo and JFK middle schools.
“Even the schools out so kids get more one-on-one time with their teachers, with their administrators, and they can have the smaller class sizes,” Welsch explained.
Antioch will finish reconstructing Lakeview Elementary School by August. A new elementary school is in the works, and MNPS is currently seeking funding to build it, which will allow more room for students.
Any student impacted in the zoning changes can stay at their current school as long as they can provide their own transportation.
“Hopefully parents will understand this kind of makes sense for their students, for the community,” Braisted said.
In three separate meetings over the next two weeks, residents will have a chance to voice thoughts or concerns:
Glencliff cluster community meeting
Monday, Oct. 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Glencliff High School
Antioch cluster community meeting
Thursday, Oct. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Smith Springs Elementary School
Hillsboro cluster community meeting
Monday, Oct. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Hillsboro High School
After that, MNPS plans to have the school board consider the proposal on Nov. 12. Then, if approved, impacted families will receive notice later in November or December.