FRANKLIN – It’s DR. Michael Looney now. Williamson County Schools’ new superintendent defended his dissertation Nov. 21, earning him the title from the University of Alabama.
 

But don’t call him Doctor. Or Michael for that matter. “Mike Looney” is just fine.
 

For the past seven work days, Looney has worked non-stop. In fact, he says he’s never seen daylight at the Brentwood suite hotel he currently calls home. His goal: To visit all 37 of the district’s schools by Christmas. He’s already had four different meetings with PTO presidents – one for high schools presidents, one with middle school parents and two split between the district’s 21 elementary school presidents.
 

There have been meetings with staff, community leaders and the press.
 

His executive secretary Judy Dishman keeps a tight rein on his time. Don’t plan to overstay your welcome. But if you have a question, feel free to call his cell phone – after 5:30 a.m. or before 9 p.m.
 

On Wednesday, Brentwood Home Page got an official 15 minutes of his time, but stretched it to about 20 until Judy graciously said the interview was over.
 

Looney’s first official day followed the Nov. 30 special called meeting to discuss rezoning a number of Cool Springs-area neighborhoods zoned for Ravenwood High School. The vote to rezone students to Centennial High was postponed a year until a thorough countywide enrollment study could take place.
 

It was one of several rezoning proposals made by staff this fall.
 

Though he was still superintendent of Butler County Schools in Alabama at the time, Looney followed the recent board actions closely.
 

“Let me say I have a lot of confidence in our professional staff that literally put in hundreds of hours” of research before making the proposals they did, he said.
 

He added he is personally examining the proposed plans and options and will meet with school board members, staff, principals and parents to get as much information as he can.
 

Ultimately, two things must happen, he said.
 

First, “We have two new schools that have to have children zoned to them,” he said. Allendale Elementary and Spring Station Middle schools in the southern part of the county will open next fall.
 

Second, “we need a long-term analysis of the transportation zones for this district.”
 

Ultimately, school zones will be based on three things: growth patterns, facilities and transportation zones, he indicated.
 

‘Stakeholders’ vital to success

Looney has quickly found out how involved parents are in the county school system.
 

After meeting with the PTO presidents, Looney is having an online listserv set up -- similar to a private Facebook --  so they can communicate with him, and between themselves. As well, a PTO Advisory Committee has been formed that will meet with him quarterly. The dates have already been put on the calendar.
 

The committee and listserv will both help get “good communication coming and going from stakeholders,” he said. Both allow “for us to have dialogue, a lot of dialogue.”
 

And then there’s his cell phone. Looney said he will talk to anyone – as long as they follow his rules. First there are the time limits noted above. Second, if you’re calling to complain about a principal, don’t call the superintendent until you’ve called the principal to discuss your concerns. If you do, Looney said the first thing he’ll do after hanging up is to call the principal and tell him or her that you called.
 

During the recent rezoning process, a perception by some that Centennial High wasn’t as good a school as Ravenwood was vocalized at public meetings.
 

Looney said he attributes those thoughts to the fact that parents are so involved at their own schools, they “don’t know the wonderful things happening at the other high schools.” He noted he’s particularly pleased with the quality of education he’s already witnessed throughout the district.
 

“This district is functioning at an extremely high level,” he said. Any perceived differences in schools by students or parents “probably comes out of the love they have of their own school.”
 

Told that the decision to take the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program out of the elementary schools remains unpopular by many in Brentwood, Looney said he supports D.A.R.E. programs.
 

“It’s a blessing to have so many SROs (school resource officers) in our schools,” he said, noting that their presence fosters a positive relationship between students and law enforcement. He also noted that the school district has relatively few problems with drugs and violence.
 

“In many forms, that’s what the D.A.R.E. program is,” Looney said.
 

“Every program in the district will be evaluated,” he answered when asked if he would consider moving D.A.R.E. back to the elementary level. Any long-term plan will be based on instruction, safety and prevention, he said.
 

Looney has met Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long, whom he said “shares the same goals.” He has also met all of the resource officers in the schools he’s visited so far.
 

There will be no grace period for the new superintendent when it comes to the school funding. The official budget process begins early next year. Ultimately, the budget is a County Commission decision.
 

Looney said he has already been involved in internal budget discussions with Central Office staff to learn the needs of the various departments, and more importantly “what we can do without.”
 

In the meantime, he will continue his tour of county schools. Earlier this week he visited Brentwood’s Scales Elementary, which he termed as “lovely. Things are going very well there.”
 

At each school visit, he has two goals: to listen and to observe. He listens to the school’s administrators and employees. He observes each school’s condition, transitions and parent involvement. He said he always tries to make time for classroom visits to speak with students as well.
 

What schools his own elementary- and middle-school-aged children will attend after the family officially moves here from Alabama is still a question. Looney was meeting with a Realtor late Wednesday afternoon. But it really doesn’t matter to their dad.
 

There’s not a school in the county he wouldn’t be happy to send his children to, he said.