WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – Wilson County Schools are bursting at the seams when it comes to enrollment, so much so there are talks of two sites for new elementary schools. 

On Monday, the school board approved $2.2 million to begin the design process for one.

“Since 2005 it has grown every year. It just never stopped,” said Travis Mayfield, WCS Deputy Director for Operations. 

Mayfield said building a new school is a permanent fix to the growing pains.  

“We open a new school. It will alleviate some crowding there but then numbers just go back up,” Mayfield said. 

From the end of last year, 720 more students enrolled in the district, according to the Wilson County Director of School Jeff Luttrell.  

“It looks like there has been 206 new students since Jan. 5, 2023,” Luttrell said. 

To speed up the process, the director of schools asked the Wilson County School board to move $2.2 million to begin the design phase.  

“It’s a good opportunity to save money for taxpayers because that will decrease the bond once we actually start the construction process and it will get the ball rolling,” Mayfield said. 

The new elementary school will sit on Double Log Cabin Road in Lebanon. 

“It’s an area really growing; we have overcrowding at West Elementary,” Mayfield said. 

Meanwhile, construction is moving fast on West Wilson Middle School after a tornado destroyed the school in 2020. For now, students are sharing a school with Mt. Juliet Middle School.  

“Everyone is experiencing growth right now. We have school campuses that are very crowded; you talk about student population; you got more cars as far as students and parents going and picking them up, so that will help in those regards,” Mayfield said. 

According to Mayfield, at this time there isn’t a timeline for the new elementary school or even a name.  

He said construction for West Wilson Middle School cost around $50 million, which is a ballpark price for the future elementary school.