Wilson County middle school receives excellence in architectural design award after rebuilding from tornado destruction

An image of the new West Wilson Middle School building. (Photo from KCBA Architects) 

Wilson County Schools (WCS) recently received special recognition for the design of the new West Wilson Middle School building, according to WCS Director Jeff Luttrell.

During an update on district happenings at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, Luttrell said West Wilson Middle School received an award from the Tennessee School Board Association for “excellence in architectural design.” The school, which reopened for students this school year, was rebuilt after being destroyed by a tornado in 2020.

“We're proud of that and would like to thank our architects and design team and everybody that had a hand in designing that, even down to our principals that looked at it,” Luttrell said.

Relating to capital projects, Luttrell said district leaders will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on December 3 for Central Pike Elementary School, after Wilson County commissioners recently approved funding for a new elementary school.

In other business, Luttrell also provided an update on district enrollment and open enrollment applications for the 2025-26 school year. He noted that the district’s current enrollment sits at 20,798 students, up 400 from last year.  

Luttrell said applications for the upcoming school year were taken from October 16 through November 14. He said district leaders are still mulling through the exact numbers for enrollment at each school. However, he said he believes they will be “aligned with what we thought it would be.”

Jan Ford (Photo from Dickson County School District) 

“We don’t need to have a lottery [for open enrollment]. We have room and can make accommodations for everyone,” he said. “Everybody will be able to attend their school of choice if they want to do that … Overall, we’re very pleased with that, and we will give you final numbers when we have those.”

In addition, Luttrell said Jan Ford, an educator and administrator from the Dickson County School District, has accepted an offer to join the district as its new high school supervisor. She will assume the position on Jan. 3, 2025.

“She comes with a wealth of experience, and we look forward to adding her to our team as we’ve had that position open for a while,” he said.