Where should I live? (Franklin, Brentwood: neighborhoods, buyer, construction)

[MN Transplant]

My husband's company is moving to Franklin, TN. We are in the process of deciding whether or not to follow. We currently live in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis, MN. We enjoy it here. From the info I've gathered so far, it seems like Brentwood and Franklin are nice places to live and would be close to the office. Can anyone please shed some light on the similarities and differences between Brentwood and Franklin? Also, the elementary schools and middle school will be the #1 driving factor of where we choose to buy a house. We can afford Franklin and Brentwood, but I'm not sure which elementary schools are good in those areas. Does anyone know if they are all similar or do they each have their own "style"? Right now I have my kids in an outstanding public elementary school and we chose this school because of it's hands-on teaching style versus just "sit and listen" approach. I have 2 active boys (6 and 9 years old). Any input on which elementary schools are good and differences between Brentwood and Franklin would be greatly appreciated. Also, hoping to get ideas on which specific neighborhoods within those 2 suburbs are good for young kids. We currently live in a neighborhood filled with kids running up and down the streets and in your yard and having constant playdates, etc. Hoping to find something similar. Thank you for taking the time to read and would love your thoughts/input!

[septimus]

I'll admit my bias is towards Franklin, but I'm not a fan of one acre lots.

Both towns are good. Both Franklin and Brentwood are in the Williamson County School system. All of the elementary schools with Franklin and Brentwood addresses are strong. Some have over crowding issues though. One thing to be aware of is there is also Franklin Special School District too. It only covers parts of Franklin and has its own special taxing authority. Its student population is a little more economically and socially diverse than most Franklin and Brentwood county schools. All of my friends with kids in FSSD love it and I loved it when son the spectrum received services through FSSD in preschool.

Property taxes are lower in Franklin and you get more services (trash pick up).

Both towns are family friendly with lots of sports clubs, arts programs etc.

I don't know how reliable this is, but this list of elementary school rankings recently showed up a couple times on my FB feed.

Best Schools in Tennessee - TN School Rankings

All of the schools follow the same framework of instruction and use the same textbooks. The schools may have different feels because of the leadership in place at each school or the demographics of a school.

[Tryingtomakeit14]

I stumbled on this post while posting my own. We are moving from the suburbs of MN as well and looking at Brentwood. The schools seem pretty standard. I am trying to figure out what sports programs and extras they have for the kids. Good luck on your move!

[WanderingFar]

If you look at Greatschools.org, all of the Brentwood schools score a 10/10 and all the Franklin schools score at least a 9/10. So you can't really go wrong with either. In Brentwood, there's been talk of a new high school and potential rezoning for the east side of the city (where most of the recent growth has been). So buyer beware if you're thinking of new(er) construction. Not sure if anything similar is happening in Franklin. (My personal opinion is that a new school serving the same privileged demographic -- high income, involved parents -- will have the same high scores. But others are more nervous about the whole thing.)

Both places tend to attract lots of young families and are similar demographically. The appeal of Brentwood, for us, was the slightly higher rated schools (Brentwood High consistently makes national rankings) and proximity to Nashville. Franklin does have that charming, walkable downtown while Brentwood has been more anti-development. As a result, Franklin "mirrors" some of the shopping and dining in Green Hills and West End (there's a mall, Whole Foods, etc.) And obviously it has a better commute for your husband, though I think it's really marginal depending on where in Brentwood vs. where in Franklin you're talking about.

[brentwoodgirl]

The zoning for the new Nolensville high school has been approved, so you could go to the Williamson County Schools website and see exactly which neighborhoods will eventually go to Nolensville High.
Brentwood Middle School was recently named one of the top 50 Most Challenging Middle Schools in the US. And according to the article, it's also rated #1 in Tennessee. But honestly, all of the schools in Williamson County are good.
One thing to consider (and something that I learned from this board) is that not all of the middle schools in Williamson County offer the high school Geometry in 8th grade. If your children are really strong math students, you may want to double check what the schools offer. Brentwood Middle has an excellent math program, their math team recently won a huge math competition for both 7th and 8th grades, beating out both the public and private schools that were there.

Most neighborhoods will be family friendly. There are tons of kids all over the county. You might want to look at neighborhoods with neighborhood pools if you want the best opportunity to meet friends.

[MN Transplant]

Thank you for all your replies! I will keep in mind the info about the math program as that is my oldest child's area of strength. Question for the group, My youngest son is on the Spectrum with mild Autism. He's currently in a mainstream kindergarten class doing very well. He has some minimal delays, but mainly needs help with planning/organizing and picking up on social cues, support in social skills etc. Are any of the specific elementary schools in Brentwood or Franklin known to be or have a reputation for being good with high functioning kids on the spectrum? Or are there any we should avoid? Also, looking for neighborhoods that are warm and welcoming and not just full of sports/jocks as my kids are more into legos, mine craft, nature/science, and karate etc. Any input is appreciated. Thank you!!

[Anony-Momma]

The chaos in the FMS gen ed classes prompted us to remove a child after the school said they could not move the child elsewhere. My understanding is that the honors classes are not so chaotic. There were drug searches where dogs sniffed all the backpacks on the ground outside. A police officer was stationed there in an office during the school year long before Sandy Hook. Williamson Herald : The Voice of America's Greatest County

Please go have a look before you choose a house. I heard some of the teachers of the chaotic classrooms have retired. Perhaps the situation has improved.

[Anony-Momma]

Originally Posted by MN Transplant

Thank you for all your replies! I will keep in mind the info about the math program as that is my oldest child's area of strength. Question for the group, My youngest son is on the Spectrum with mild Autism. He's currently in a mainstream kindergarten class doing very well. He has some minimal delays, but mainly needs help with planning/organizing and picking up on social cues, support in social skills etc. Are any of the specific elementary schools in Brentwood or Franklin known to be or have a reputation for being good with high functioning kids on the spectrum? Or are there any we should avoid? Also, looking for neighborhoods that are warm and welcoming and not just full of sports/jocks as my kids are more into legos, mine craft, nature/science, and karate etc. Any input is appreciated. Thank you!!

Call Autism Tennessee and get yourself connected with the representatives in Williamson County where you can ask these questions of parents who have been in the schools and know the current situation. Autism | Educate, Advocate, Celebrate Autism | Home

[MN Transplant]

Thank you everyone for your input! I will take your advice and will go and visit some of the schools