On Sunday, Knox County School Board Member Karen Carson called into the Hubert Smith Radio Show. The expressed purpose of her call was inform the listeners about what happened at the out of county retreat of the County Commission and County School Board.
Carson indicated that nothing really big or monumental came out of the retreat. She extended her comments by saying that she believed that in areas of disagreement between the County Commission and School Board in the future, she would like for the Cornerstone Foundation (the source of funds for the retreat) to fund a mediator to facilitate an agreement on all issues where Commission and School Board disagree.
That is not the way Knox County’s Charter form of Government is established. The State of Tennessee and Knox County have created how our government is to operate. The School Board hires the Superintendent of Schools and sets the policies for the governing of the school board. The County Commission sets the tax rate and appropriates the funds for the School System to operate. There is a provision that the County Commission can not cut the school district budget and must maintain a certain level of funding year to year.
Knox County has added over $90 million dollars in new funding to the Knox County School District over the past six years.
Carson is running for a THIRD term, in deference to the voters expressed intent in 1994 to impose term limits. The other candidate Elaine Davis, a citizen activist, former County Commissioner, Wife and Mom to two school age children.
Early voting begins February 15 and Election Day is March 6.
