School Board Meeting Tonight

The Knox County School Board meet tonight and approved their budget request for $35 million in additional dollars this coming year. That is $28 million in Capital Improvements and $7 million in general operations. While the board spent a lot of time discussing the merits of the request and how it will take the board to be leaders in the community to justify the additional cash. So, while the board were feeling good about themselves, they got a cold splash of water in the face, waking them up from the dream of state-person stature when Halls parent, Mr. Fitzgibbon spoke at Public Forum and told the board while you all are patting yourselves on the back. My daughter is being harassed at Halls High School. He asked, Why do you have FIVE Principals at Halls High School when TWO are acceptable. It seems his daughter has shorts that meet the schools dress code but evidently the Halls High School administration has decided them Halls girls should have longer shorts than the Board and Dr. McIntyre have said she should. If I understood the gentleman correctly, the shorts were bought at Halls High School. 

So, much for being visionary leaders, the board was quickly awakened to their real role and that is to set policy and procedures for the school district and apparently a North Knoxville Principal believes that it's standard is better than the Director of Schools and his NINE employers believe it should be. 

Now it is time for County Mayor Tim Burchett to present a budget to the Knox County Commission. I would not hold my breath that the School Board will get what they asked for from the Mayor or the Commission. Unless, they decide to just let the voters decide. Here is what Mike Donila 'da career killa' posted earlier about the budget on his blog Screams From The Porch.