On Tuesday, Williamson County students were in class while 17 county schools pulled double duty as polling locations for the county primary, a setup that rattled some parents after a voter reportedly walked into an elementary school hallway while students were present. District leaders say a packed Advanced Placement testing calendar left almost no flexibility to move exams, but the sight of voters and kids sharing campus space has revived long running safety worries for families and volunteers.
Testing schedule left little wiggle room
Superintendent Jason Golden said the district had nearly 3,000 students scheduled to take AP exams and that the national testing calendar provided only a single make up day, which he argued made closing schools unrealistic. He told WSMV the district put safety protocols in place for Election Day and still expects to close for the state general election in August and the federal general election in November.
Which campuses doubled as vote centers
Local reporting published the full roster of the 17 campuses that served as vote centers, from Brentwood High to Hunters Bend Elementary and Legacy Middle, and noted that election officials worked with principals to confine voting to isolated portions of school buildings. Residents who want campus by campus details can find the complete list in the roster from Williamson Source.
Security steps and a reported hallway incident
The district said it coordinated with law enforcement partners to add school resource officers, set up separate bathroom access for voters, and place ballot stations in isolated areas in an effort to limit contact between students and the general public. WSMV reported that officers mostly stayed in parked cars so their presence would not be mistaken for voter intimidation. That same report says a voter walked into an elementary school hallway while students were present, an interaction the district says remains under investigation.
What voters should know next
Williamson County’s official elections page lists the May 5 vote centers, sample ballots, and voting hours so residents can confirm where to cast a ballot and what identification they will need, according to Williamson County. Families with questions about how their child’s campus handled Election Day were directed to contact the school’s front office, per local reporting from Williamson Source.
