WCS Leigh Webb

Williamson County Schools Board interim Superintendent Leigh Webb poses for a photo following her appointment by the WCS Board, June 29, 2026.

 Hamilton Matthew Masters

The Williamson County School Board approved ZEAL as the firm to help complete its superintendent search.

The board passed the measure 8-4.  

District 7 board member Melissa Wyatt and District 10 board member Jennifer Konyn discussed that the board chose interim superintendent Leigh Webb without a search process. During the public comment period, several community members shared concern about taxpayer dollars being used for the search when  Webb is already in the position.

“We don't need to be spending a dollar of taxpayer money to rewrite a decades-in-the-making succession plan,” former Williamson County School board member Anne McGraw said.

Beverly Pervis, president of the Williamson County Education Association, agreed. 

“If we already have a qualified, trusted, and proven leader serving in this role, why should we spend additional taxpayer dollars searching outside the district for someone who may be highly qualified but lacks the deep institutional knowledge that has helped make Williamson County Schools one of the premier districts in Tennessee and across the nation?” Pervis said.

However, District 1 board member Tony Bostic said an actual search is what is most fair to Webb, so that if she gets the position she sees it was based on her merit, not just a handoff. 

According to Rachel Farmer, assistant superintendent of Budget and Finance, the money for the search is already built into the budget that the board approved. That total is $100,000. If some of that money isn’t used, it will roll over into the next year and go toward other initiatives. 

District 2 board member Randy Allen nominated ZEAL. Most of the discussion around the company centered on whether it was the best fit because of its structured community input and knowledge of both confidential and public searches. 

"If we don't have a system in place where we can have community input, then personally I don't feel that we are serving the community in the best way," District 4 board member Traci Anderson said.

Other business

The board unanimously selected District 9 board member Claire Reeves as the chair of the board. She replaces former board member Josh Brown. 

District 11 board member Tonja Hibma was voted vice chair. 

The Social Studies Committee, which will also choose this year’s history curriculum, was passed unanimously. 

No new calendar parameters were introduced. The calendar committee will consider adding a Sept. 11 remembrance day, moving early elementary dismissal to Friday, and how to go about school during election week and voting days.