Franklin vs. Brentwood - Moving from Boston (Chattanooga, Spring Hill: fit in, how much)

[bostontotennessee]

My husband and daughters and I will likely be moving to either Brentwood or Franklin in the next couple of months as my husband is being relocated for work. I'm originally from Boston and am worried about being a "fish out of water" in the Nashville area. We have heard good things about both Brentwood and Franklin and would love to hear people's opinions on life in each of these suburbs, particularly for "out-of-towners." Also, my 5-year old daughter is autistic, mildly "on the spectrum" but highly functional so school choice is critical as she's entering kindergarten. have only heard good things about the WCS schools, but if anyone has experience specific to public elementary schools with good special ed programs, that would be great too. My biggest fear is that I just won't "fit in"....but am hoping to love it there.

[akm4]

Franklin Special School District is a city district for elementary and middle school grades. They are known for having excellent special ed services, but honestly, you should be fine with FSSD or WCS.

Schedule a visit with each district office and see what you think.

Good luck with your move!

[BirdieBelle]

It's hard to describe what life would be like in either town because there are variations within each. Franklin, especially, encompasses a lot of different density and demographics.
In general, the area is friendly, family-oriented, affluent, religious, racially homogenous (89% white) and typically suburban with pockets of walkable trendiness. You need a car, though, for sure. The county is bisected by a major interstate. Traffic across Franklin can be a real pain as a lot of subdivisions are accessed by the same roads.
Franklin is bigger, Brentwood is more expensive. The county population has grown by 100,000 since 1990. LOTS of people have moved here. Many longtimers resent the influx of people from the Midwest, northeast, California and Florida, but it's not like we're going to shun you. Not to your face, anyway.
The thing is, most everyone comes here seeking a good life, so they usually are happy to be here.
As far as being a fish out of water, you will find lots of people who've moved here. I think if you come to a new place with a optimism, you'll have a better time.

[shinestx]

My grandparents lived for years in the heart of Franklin, and I'm quite familiar with the area. Wmns4life is spot-on, but I think she was just joking about the "shunning" part. The thing is that much of that 100,000 change in population is from the North. I live in Chattanooga now, and it's much smaller than Nashville (and perhaps less of a magnet for people around the country/world), but I was walking on a greenway today (Saturday), and it was teeming with people enjoying the beautiful spring weather. I passed lots of groups of people meeting and greeting people along the way, so there were a lot of impromptu conversations. I heard far more people with northern accents (distinctly Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota... i.e. clear, crisp Midwestern accents) than even the local accents (to be sure, I heard a lot of them too). The point is that lil'bitty (colloquialism) Chattanooga even has lots of people from other parts of the country.

As a transplant to TN (albeit at the age of 3), I am certain that you will find Tennesseans are very welcoming people regardless of where you come from. The only thing they "bristle" from (and this is probably true for most locales) is when people come here and talk about how much better things are where they came from. With one of my children, I am quite familiar with the exceptional education services in Hamilton County (and they're actually state mandated... i.e. special ed... i.e. autistic spectrum), and I believe you will be amazed at the services available to these children in Williamson County.

Good luck, and remember you won't be in Kansas... er, I mean New England anymore. But I think there's lots here for you to love.

[septimus]

I will DM you, but SpEd Services through FSSD is way better than through the county.

[BirdieBelle]

I have always heard that about FSSD. WCS is getting more crowded and can offer less personal attention.
Williamson is having major budget problems and will get rid of 25 instructional positions this coming year. The superintendent said this week that class sizes also will increase. If your child is on the autism spectrum, he will get an IEP and probably have an aide who assists him occasionally in the class, if they determine he needs it. It is very common in the schools where I've taught.
Also, normally I would never steer anyone toward Maury County schools, just south of Williamson, but I have heard good things about the special ed offerings and student-teacher ratios at Spring Hill Elementary in Maury (pronounced Murray) County.
I haven't had personal experience there, just word of mouth. That side of Spring Hill would definitely be more culture shock, though, if you're coming from Boston.

[akm4]

At one FSSD elementary they have a reading diagnostic facilitator who is Lindamood-Bell certified! Her services at a L-B center would run thousands, but are free through the school.

Just one example of the level of training represented by FSSD faculty. (There may be teachers at WCS with L-B training too. DOn't mean to imply otherwise.)

[bostontotennessee]

Thank you all to have posted. It is very helpful. I hadn't heard that about the WCS cutting back on instructional positions, so that will help us as we meet with the schools over the next few weeks. I hadn't heard anything previously about FSSD, so will definitely look into that as well. Does anyone have specific recommendations on FSSD elementary schools or anyone ones I should focus on our steer clear of?

I've also heard great things about Currey Ingram, but there's a little sticker shock there.

My daughter, 5, who is on the autism spectrum, is, what most would term, mildly autistic. Primarily issue of social engagement and "attending" to the world around her. She's been pretty mainstreamed in our current school system (we currently live in the Cincinnati area), and she's benefitted greatly from being around "typical" peers. Everything is moving so quickly with this move. As a parent of a special needs child, she's our number one concern and I want to make sure I'm setting her (and my younger daughter) up for success academically, and, more importantly, socially. Our goals are to 1) be in the best possible school district for her; and 2) be in a neighborhood with kids/families of the same age as our kids. I am going in with a positive attitude and am excited about the opportunities for my husband and our family, so I certainly don't mean to imply that I'm some New England snob moving there! I just wish I had more time to figure everything out!! Thank you all again!

[BirdieBelle]

I don't know how people manage Currey Ingram. Their tuition is higher than a lot of colleges!
In FSSD I've had friends who loved Moore Elementary.
Also, they offer what is called the "balanced calendar" at Poplar Grove Elementary. It is like a year-round school in that they start mid-July and have three-week breaks in the fall and spring, then get out in early June.
It is a K-8 school, so your child could go there for the entire time. She then would go to a WCS high school.
I think they reduced the length of the mid-term breaks but am not positive.
One thing about Poplar Grove is that they have two occupational therapists in staff, a physical therapist and special ed teachers in charge of communication and social skills in each grade. I think it would be worth a look.
A lot of people like the year-round schedule because they can travel during less-crowded times when other kids are in school.
I think you can live anywhere you like within the FSSD zone and attend Poplar Grove. They provide bus service.
If you have any other questions about any little thing, be sure to ask. We love offering our opinions.

[brentwoodgirl]

We have several friends who live in Chestnut Bend in Franklin & their children attend Poplar Grove. That's a pretty neighborhood with tons of kids. I don't think you mentioned a budget, but I think Chestnut Bend is around $400-$500K.
Poplar Grove is a lottery school, so you would need to call them for lottery info. I think it has already ended for next year, but they may save some spots for children with special needs.
Our old neighbors in Nashville moved to the Lipscomb school district because their son was diagnosed with autism. They have been really happy with his treatment from Lipscomb. So I would call them also.