• Mayor's Budget Supports 
    Knox County Schools

    Posted by Josh Flory on 5/1/2019
    Students walking into Gibbs Middle School on the first day of school.
    Photo credit / Jon Guymon

    Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs on Wednesday proposed a budget that would provide KCS teachers and classified staff with an amount equivalent to a 3.5 percent raise and provide funding to build three new elementary schools.

    The mayor’s spending proposal was unveiled Wednesday morning in a speech at Central High School.

    Speaking to elected officials, community leaders and other dignitaries, Jacobs outlined a spending plan that would add $22.1 million to the General Purpose School Fund, including money to support kindergarten interventions and a new literacy initiative.

    In addition, a five-year capital plan calls for replacing existing school buildings at Lonsdale Elementary and Adrian Burnett Elementary, and construction of a new elementary school in Northwest Knox County. The five-year capital plan would also fund additions to Brickey-McCloud Elementary and Sterchi Elementary.

    In his speech, Jacobs cited former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s vision of America as a “shining city on a hill”, and asked “Why can’t Knox County be that shining city within America?”

    To do that, he said, the county must be committed to priorities that include building “an education system that provides students with the tools they need to be successful in whatever avenue they choose, whether it’s Liberal Arts, STEAM education or the trades.”

    The budget proposal echoes priorities approved by the Knox County Board of Education, and school officials praised Jacobs for his commitment to funding education.

    “Mayor Jacobs and his team have worked closely with KCS, and we are grateful for their strong support of public education,” said Superintendent Bob Thomas. “Providing a 3.5 percent raise for  teachers and other district employees is a crucial step to attract and retain outstanding educators, and we’re very grateful for the county’s support of much-needed capital improvements within the district.”

    The spending proposal will now be considered by the Knox County Commission.