School board maintains 2024 legislative priorities
By Ken Leinart
Support of private school vouchers will not be part of Knox County Board of Education’s 2025 legislative priorities to be forwarded to the Tennessee Legislature.
First District’s the Rev. John Butler made the motion to accept the board’s legislative priorities without an addition calling for support of school vouchers.
The 2025 legislative priorities are the same as 2024’s. The board’s vice chairman and District 7 representative Steve Triplett had requested the addition of voicing the board’s support for vouchers. The motion to accept the 2025 priorities without the addition passed 5-3 with one pass.
Voting in favor of the 2025 legislative priorities without adding support of school vouchers were Butler, Anne Templeton (2nd District), Patricia Fontenot-Ridley (3rd District), Katherine Bike (4th District), and Lauren Morgan (5th District). Voting no were Triplett, Betsy Henderson (board chair from District 6), and Travis Wright (8th District). District 9 representative Kristi Kristy passed.
Before casting her vote, Morgan said she was for public schools and for private schools and believes parents should have a choice for the best school option for their children.
“However,” she continued. “I don’t believe it is in the board’s realm of duties to make vouchers a legislative priority as we don’t have control over what the legislature does.
“I think it’s our job, here on this board, to make Knox County schools the best they can possibly be and be the place where our students and our families want to get an education, to choose to go to school and believe we need to continue to be focusing on that.”
The board also approved Emerald Academy’s renewal application for 10 years.
The motion passed 5-1 with three passes. Voting for renewal were Henderson, Triplett, Morgan, Kristy and Wright. Fontenot-Ridley voted no. Butler, Templeton, and Bike passed.
The board also approved the evaluation of Superintendent Jon Rysewyk.
The evaluation ranked Rysewyk as having performed “above expectations.”
With approval of the evaluation, the board’s John Butler made a motion for the Knox County Board of Education to begin working in February on the superintendents’ next contract, almost a year before his current contract expires.
Butler said even with the high marks coming from the evaluation the board and Rysewyk have many things to achieve.
“I know we still have work to do, we have not achieved all of our goals,” Butler said.
“But I believe the comments from the assessments are saying we’re headed in the right direction.”
Butler also noted the Knox County Schools system is, “In the middle of creating a new strategic plan,” and he did not want that hampered down the road.
Kristi Kristy seconded the motion, noting there were numerous school districts searching for a superintendent and it would not be too soon to begin getting a new contract with Rysewyk in the works.
The board also approved a revised school calendar for the 2025-2026 school year.
The biggest revisions are the start date and final day of school.
The first day back to school for teachers will be July 31. The first day (half-day) for students will be Aug. 7. Winter break will last 10 days rather than nine – Dec. 22 through Jan. 2. The last half day for students is May 21, 2026, and the last day for teachers is May. 22.
