Williamson County commissioners are set to decide Monday whether to fund a long-discussed middle school on district-owned land near Jordan Elementary School, a project that has moved through planning offices and school board meetings for more than five years as nearby campuses fill toward their limits.
The Williamson County Board of County Commissioners was scheduled to consider a resolution on Nov. 9 approving its intent to fund the project, according to Williamson Source. The outlet reported the total estimated cost at $87 million, with roughly $45.5 million needed upfront for design, site preparation and the start of construction. That figure is notably higher than a 2021 estimate from Williamson Scene, which put the school's construction cost at $42 million at the time; the record does not explain what accounts for the difference between the two figures.
The school would rise on the Split Log property near Jordan Elementary, on land Williamson County Schools already owns, the Williamson Source report notes. As WSMV reported, the Williamson County School Board voted unanimously last month to advance the project, and district leadership has said a new middle school in Brentwood is needed to address overcrowding. The district also asked the county commission to approve more than $45,000 for design and site preparation at Jordan Elementary, per WSMV's reporting.
Years of Planning Behind Monday's Vote
This is not a new idea for county officials. In October 2021, the County Commission approved $2.1 million to begin the initial design and construction phase of the middle school, according to the same Williamson Scene report, which at the time said the school was expected to open in fall 2024 — a timeline that has since shifted. City officials in Brentwood voted unanimously to approve a proposed site plan for Split Log Middle School, the outlet also reported, and the Brentwood Municipal Planning Commission later approved a revised version of that site plan at 9714 Split Log Road on May 5, 2025, per a report from Citizen Portal. That amended approval came with a condition: any updated traffic study recommending significant on- or off-site improvements would require the plan to return to the commission.
The Williamson County Board of Education approved a five-year capital plan on Nov. 17, 2025, the Williamson Source report states. A separate Citizen Portal report on the board's capital-plan discussions said members voted 12-0 to move a $17 million intent-to-fund request for the Split Log project one year earlier in the plan. WSMV reported the district hopes to open the new school on Split Log Road by fall 2029, and that construction permits have reportedly been pulled for the project.
Overcrowding Pressure Builds at Nearby Campuses
The push for a new campus comes as enrollment data shows existing middle schools serving the area already near their limits. Williamson County Schools reported total district enrollment of 40,648 for the 2026-27 school year in a planning document dated Sept. 4, 2026. That same document lists Woodland Middle School at 979 students against a stated capacity of 960, and Mill Creek Middle School at 889 students against a capacity of 880.
A separate district table tracking projected enrollment put Woodland Middle School at 973 students against a 960-student capacity, a 101% fill rate for 2026-27, while Mill Creek Middle School was projected at 900 students against an 880-student capacity, a 102% fill rate. The record does not fully explain the difference between the two district reporting measures. WSMV reported that Woodland, Mill Creek and Sunset middle schools are each forecast to reach or exceed capacity within two to four years.
Williamson County Schools board member Leigh Webb told WSMV that all middle schools serving that part of the county are projected to reach or exceed capacity in the next two to four years based on forecast community growth. Webb also said the district bought enough land at Jordan Elementary in Brentwood to accommodate a future middle school. According to WSMV, the proposed school would serve students from Brentwood and Nolensville, and school assignments for children in the county may change in the coming years as the district works through its plans. A separate Williamson Source report noted that all middle schools serving the Nolensville area specifically are projected to reach or exceed capacity within the next two to four years.
A Long Road From Land Purchase to Classroom
The Brentwood site itself dates back nearly a decade. Williamson County Schools purchased a new elementary and middle school site in Brentwood for $8.6 million in February 2017, according to The Tennessean. Nearly a decade later, that land purchase, the years of planning commission reviews, and the shifting cost estimates all converge on Monday's scheduled commission vote, which would approve the county's intent to fund the project rather than formally commit funding.
