Knox County Schools

Knox County Schools is the school district that operates all public schools in Knox County, Tennessee. History Before the 1987–1988 school year, the city of Knoxville and Knox County operated separate school districts. In that year the two systems were consolidated into Knox County Schools. Beginning circa 2025 the district banned The Handmaid's Tale, The Kite Runner, and Water for Elephants. In 2026, the district banned the book Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and it was later reinstated by the superintendent. List of Knox County School Superintendents (1869–Present) M.C Wilcott 1869–1873 Thomas Conner Karns 1873–1875 H.M Brothers 1875–1876 H.G Hampstead 1877–1878 Frank Smith 1879–1880 William Gibbs 1881–1883 John Shipe 1883–1885 James Saylor 1886–1888 J.C Ford 1889–1896 D.P Duggan 1897–1900 Sam Hill 1901–1907 E.R Cate 1907–1910 Monroe Wilson 1911–1917 William Stooksbury 1917–1922 William Morris 1923–1934 Leonard Brickey 1934–1946 Mildred Doyle 1946–1976 Earl Hofmeister 1976–1992 Allen Morgan 1992–1998 Roy Mullins 1998–1999 Charles Lindsey 1999–2007 Roy Mullins 2007–2008 Dr. James McIntyre 2008–2016 Buzz Thomas 2016–2017 (interim) Bob Thomas 2017–2022 Dr. Jon Rysewyk 2022–Present Mildred Doyle holds the record for longest time as superintendent (30 years). Mildred Doyle is also the only women to ever hold the office of superintendent of Knox County (county or city). List of Knoxville City School Superintendents (1871–1988) Alenander Baird 1871–1875 Reverend H.T Morton 1875–1878 R.D.S Robertson 1877–1881 Albert Ruth 1881–1897 J.H. McCallie 1897–1901 Albert Ruth 1901–1907 Seymour Mynders 1907–1911 Walter Miller 1910–1924 Homer Shepherd 1926–1931 Harry Clark 1932–1941 Thomas Prince 1941–1949 Wilson New 1949–1954 Thomas Johnston 1954–1964 Olin Adams Jr. 1964–1971 Elmer Aslinger 1971–1973 Roy Wallace 1973–1975 James Newman 1975–1984 Fred Bedelle Jr. 1984–1987 Operations Its current headquarters is in Knoxville. It was formerly headquartered in the Andrew Johnson Building in downtown Knoxville. Statistics The district has 94 schools (including 51 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 16 high schools, 11 special schools) with more than 8,000 employees serving approximately 60,500 students in the cities of Knoxville and Farragut as well as all other communities in the county. There are 3,927 classroom teachers, 85 principals, and 126 assistant principals. The system has another 549 certified personnel plus 3,652 support staff. All middle and high schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and 96% of the elementary schools are accredited. As of April 2012, there were 1,431 students enrolled in Pre-K, 27,168 K-5, 12,879 grades 6–8, 16,230 grades 9–12, and 104 in non-traditional schools. Of the student population, 76.6% are white, 5.3% Hispanic, 2.2% Asian/Pacific Island, and 13.9% African-American. Schools The district has a total of 91 schools within 9 school board districts. Elementary schools Knox County operates 50 elementary schools. Middle schools The district operates 16 middle schools, enrolling grades 6–8. High schools The district operates 15 high schools. These are: Special schools There are 10 Knox County schools offering special or non-traditional programs. Included are three vocational high school programs: Byington-Solway Career and Technical Education Center, located at Karns High School Lincoln Park Technology and Trade Center North Knox Career and Technical Education Center, located at Halls High School The Knox County Adult High School offers day and evening high school classes for adult students (age 18 and older) desiring to complete a regular high school diploma. It is housed in the historic Knoxville High School building. Knox County public preschools are: Fair Garden Preschool Sam E. Hill Family Community Center Other special schools are: Fort Sanders Educational Development Center, offering special education services, primarily for children of preschool age The Knoxville Adaptive Education Center, a special school for students with mental health needs, including three elementary, three middle, and seven high school classrooms at the school, plus similar "satellite" classrooms in other county schools Richard Yoakley Alternative School Ridgedale Alternative School Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy Governance Knox County Schools is governed by a nine-member elected board of education and directed by a superintendent they appoint. The following are serving on the Knox County Board of Education from 2024 to 2026: District 1: Rev. John Butler District 2: Ann Templeton District 3: Pat Ridley District 4: Katherine Bike District 5: Lauren Morgan District 6: Betsy Henderson District 7: Steve Triplett District 8: Travis Wright District 9: Kristi Kristy Dr. Jon Rysewyk currently serves as the Superintendent. References External links Knox County Schools