Hamilton County Schools, Tennessee, elections

Hamilton County Schools
District details
	School board members: 9
	Students: 45,902 (2022-2023)
	Schools: 81 (2022-2023)
	Website: Link

Hamilton County Schools is a school district in Tennessee (Hamilton County). During the 2023 school year, 45,902 students attended one of the district's 81 schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

Jump to a section:

Elections School board Location Budget Academic performance Students Staff Schools

Elections

Do you know of an individual or group that endorsed a candidate for a position on this board? Click here to let us know.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1

Steve Slater defeated Tammy Barnes in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Steve Slater (R)	77.8	2,849
	Submit photo	Tammy Barnes (D)	22.2	813

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10

Felice Hadden defeated Angie Stone Jackson in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Felice Hadden (R)	65.8	1,633
	Submit photo	Angie Stone Jackson (D)	34.2	849

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11

Incumbent Jill Black defeated Sherrie Guinn Ford in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jill Black (D)	51.9	1,830
	Submit photo	Sherrie Guinn Ford (R)	48.1	1,693

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,523
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2

Ben Daugherty defeated Crystal Boehm in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ben Daugherty (R)	59.6	3,359
	Submit photo	Crystal Boehm (Independent)	40.4	2,275

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,634
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4

Jackie Anderson Thomas won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jackie Anderson Thomas (D)	100.0	2,089

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,089
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7

Jodi Schaffer defeated David Sean Kelman in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jodi Schaffer (R)	57.9	2,015
	Submit photo	David Sean Kelman (Independent)	42.1	1,467

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10

Faye Robinson defeated Jeff Crim and Christine Essex in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Faye Robinson (R)	69.4	2,483
	Submit photo	Jeff Crim (D)	24.3	871
	Submit photo	Christine Essex (Independent)	6.3	224

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,578
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11

Jill Black defeated Virginia Anne Manson and Steve McKinney in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jill Black (D)	50.1	2,177
	Submit photo	Virginia Anne Manson (R)	43.8	1,901
	Submit photo	Steve McKinney (Independent)	6.1	263

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,341
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3

Incumbent Joe Smith defeated Jenn Piroth in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Joe Smith (R)	70.1	3,988
	Submit photo	Jenn Piroth (D)	29.9	1,701

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,689
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5

Incumbent Karitsa Jones defeated Charles Paty in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karitsa Jones (D)	74.9	3,054
	Submit photo	Charles Paty (R)	25.1	1,021

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,075
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6

Ben Connor defeated Jon Baker in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ben Connor (D)	65.4	3,755
	Submit photo	Jon Baker (R)	34.6	1,990

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,745
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8

Larry Grohn defeated Katie Perkins in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Larry Grohn (R)	53.5	1,776
	Submit photo	Katie Perkins (D)	46.5	1,545

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,321
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9

Gary Kuehn won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Gary Kuehn (R)	100.0	3,607

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,607
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1

Incumbent Rhonda Thurman defeated Stephen Vickers in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rhonda Thurman (Nonpartisan)	53.1	3,555
	Submit photo	Stephen Vickers (Nonpartisan)	46.8	3,135
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	10

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,700
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2

Marco Perez defeated Tom Decosimo in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Marco Perez (Nonpartisan)	57.7	5,281
	Submit photo	Tom Decosimo (Nonpartisan)	42.1	3,851
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	15

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,147
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Kathy Lennon (Nonpartisan)

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Tiffanie Robinson won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4 on August 6, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tiffanie Robinson (Nonpartisan)	97.9	2,807
	Other/Write-in votes	2.1	61

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,868
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7

Incumbent Joe Wingate defeated Debbi Meyers in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Wingate (Nonpartisan)	53.9	3,719
	Submit photo	Debbi Meyers (Nonpartisan)	45.7	3,157
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	29

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,905
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3

Incumbent Joe Smith defeated Miracle Hurley in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Joe Smith (Nonpartisan)	68.0	4,351
	Submit photo	Miracle Hurley (Nonpartisan)	31.5	2,015
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	30

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,396
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5

Incumbent Karitsa Jones defeated Ann Pierre in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karitsa Jones (Nonpartisan)	75.5	4,117
	Submit photo	Ann Pierre (Nonpartisan)	24.0	1,306
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	30

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,453
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6

Jenny Hill defeated Michael Henry in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jenny Hill (Nonpartisan)	72.4	4,156
	Submit photo	Michael Henry (Nonpartisan)	27.1	1,557
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	24

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,737
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8

Tucker McClendon defeated incumbent David Testerman in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tucker McClendon (Nonpartisan)	50.9	2,613
		David Testerman (Nonpartisan)	48.3	2,480
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	44

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,137
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9

Incumbent Steve Highlander defeated D'Andre Anderson in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Highlander (Nonpartisan)	72.6	4,515
	Submit photo	D'Andre Anderson (Nonpartisan)	26.9	1,677
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	31

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,223
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1

Incumbent Rhonda Thurman won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1 on August 4, 2016.

		Candidate
✔		Rhonda Thurman (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2

Incumbent Kathy Lennon won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2 on August 4, 2016.

		Candidate
✔		Kathy Lennon (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Tiffanie Robinson won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4 on August 4, 2016.

		Candidate
✔		Tiffanie Robinson (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7

Incumbent Joe Wingate won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7 on August 4, 2016.

		Candidate
✔		Joe Wingate (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3

Incumbent Greg Martin won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3 on August 7, 2014.

		Candidate
✔		Greg Martin (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5

Incumbent Karitsa Jones won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5 on August 7, 2014.

		Candidate
✔		Karitsa Jones (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6

Incumbent Joe Galloway won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6 on August 7, 2014.

		Candidate
✔		Joe Galloway (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8

Incumbent David Testerman won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8 on August 7, 2014.

		Candidate
✔		David Testerman (D)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9

General election

General election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9

Incumbent Steve Highlander won election in the general election for Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9 on August 7, 2014.

		Candidate
✔		Steve Highlander (Nonpartisan)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Election rules

View election rules

Election dates and frequency

See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing

Tennessee code establishes default regular school board general election dates in August and November of even-numbered years, but also allows for school board general elections to be held on a different date.

In Tennessee, school board primary elections can be held to select party nominees for the school board general election. State law does not require there to be a school board primary election, and parties can nominate candidates through other methods. The date of a school board primary election, if held, depends on the date of the school board general election. If a school district holds a school board general election on a date other than the default August or November dates in even years and if a primary election is held, it must be on the first Tuesday of the third month before the general election. If that day is a holiday, it must be on the second Tuesday of the third month before the general election.

Tennessee law sets the first Thursday in August as one of the default dates on which school board general elections can be held.

School districts in Tennessee that hold school board general elections on the first Thursday in August, if they hold school board primary elections, must hold the primary elections on the first Tuesday in May in nonpresidential election years and on the first Tuesday in March in presidential election years.

School districts in Tennessee that hold school board general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, if they hold school board primary elections, must hold the primary elections on the first Thursday in August.

Tennessee law sets the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as on of the default dates on which school board general elections can be held.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203 and Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203

In Tennessee, the school board candidate filing deadline depends on what election date is used and whether or not a primary election is held. For elections held at other times than the August and November dates, candidate filing deadlines are 12 pm on the third Thursday in the third calendar month before the election. If a primary election is held, the filing deadline for the primary election applies to all candidates.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 2-5-101

Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts holding school board general elections in August of even years

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts holding school board general elections in August of even years. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

General election date: August 7, 2025
Filing deadline date: February 19, 2026
Primary election date: March 5, 2026
Filing deadline date: April 2, 2026

Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts holding school board general elections in November of even years

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts holding school board general elections in November of even years. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

Primary election date: August 7, 2025
Filing deadline date: August 21, 2025
Filing deadline date: April 2, 2026
General election date: November 3, 2026

Election system

School board members in Tennessee are elected either through a system of a nonpartisan general election without a primary or through a system of partisan party primaries and a partisan general election. Political parties can nominate candidates through party primaries or through other methods according to party rules.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203

Party labels on the ballot

See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections

School board elections in Tennessee can be partisan — which means candidates can be nominated by political parties and are displayed on the ballot with party labels — or nonpartisan — which means candidates are displayed on the ballot without party labels. Tennessee Code states, "If at least one (1) county primary board of a political party elects to conduct school board elections on a partisan basis, then a person seeking a position on any board in that county may campaign as the nominee or representative of a political party, and political parties may nominate candidates for membership on the board." Legislation was enacted in 2021 to allow partisan elections. Before 2021, Tennessee school board elections were all nonpartisan without party labels.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203

Winning an election

In Tennessee, if a political party holds a school board primary election to nominate a candidate for the general election, the candidate that receives the most votes in the primary election advances to the general election as that party's nominee.

In Tennessee, the school board candidate that receives the most votes in the general election is elected to office.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203 and Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201

Term length and staggering

Tennessee Code sets four-year school board terms for all school districts except for some special school districts with a different term established by special or private act. As of 2022, there were four special school districts with six-year terms.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201

As close to half of school board members as possible are up for regular election every two years. Special acts can establish different election schedules.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

School board members in Tennessee are elected at large by all voters in the district, by sub-district, or through a combination of the two. State law provides that county school board members are elected by sub-district, but special or private acts and grandfathered systems establish at-large elections for some county school board members. Special school district board members are elected according to special or private acts. Municipal school district board members are elected with the same representation method as the municipality's governing body. State law says that municipal school districts with board members elected by sub-district as of June 6, 1995, must continue to use that method of representation.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

In Tennessee, the school board candidate filing deadline depends on what election date is used and whether or not a primary election is held. For elections held at other times than the August and November dates, candidate filing deadlines are 12 pm on the third Thursday in the third calendar month before the election. If a primary election is held, the filing deadline for the primary election applies to all candidates.

For districts holding school board general elections in August with primary elections in March (presidential election years) or May (nonpresidential election years), the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the second Thursday in December in presidential election years and 12 pm on the third Thursday in February for nonpresidential election years.

For districts holding school board general elections in August and for which no primary "is called for any office to be filled in the regular August general election," the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the first Thursday in April.

For districts holding school board general elections in November and for which no primary election is called, the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the third Thursday in August.

For districts holding school board general elections in November with primary elections in August, the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the first Thursday in April.

See law: Tennessee Code Section 2-5-101 and Tennessee Code Section 2-5-101

About the district

School board

Hamilton County Schools consists of nine members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members
Name	Seat	Year assumed office	Year term ends
Jackie Anderson Thomas	District 4	2024	2028
Ben Daugherty	District 2	2024	2028
Felice Hadden	District 10	2024	2028
Jodi Schaffer	District 7	2024	2028
Steve Slater	District 1	2024	2028
Jill Black	District 11	2022	2028
Ben Connor	District 6	2022	2026
Larry Grohn	District 8	2022	2026
Gary Kuehn	District 9	2022	2026
Joe Smith	District 3	2016	2026
Karitsa Jones	District 5	2014	2026

Join the conversation about school board politics

District map

School district map

Overlapping state house districts

Hamilton County Schools
Office Name	Current Officeholder	Party	% School District Covered	% Other District Covered
Tennessee House of Representatives District 27	Michele Reneau	Republican Party	32%	100%
Tennessee House of Representatives District 29	Greg Vital	Republican Party	26%	100%
Tennessee House of Representatives District 26	Greg Martin	Republican Party	24%	100%
Tennessee House of Representatives District 30	Esther Helton	Republican Party	10%	100%
Tennessee House of Representatives District 28	Yusuf Hakeem	Democratic Party	8%	100%

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.^[1]

Revenue
Expenditures

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$71,914,000	$1,631	14%
Local:	$272,405,000	$6,177	51%
State:	$188,337,000	$4,271	35%
Total:	$532,656,000	$12,078

Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$516,360,000	$11,708
Total Current Expenditures:	$491,145,000	$11,137
Instructional Expenditures:	$293,839,000	$6,663	57%
Student and Staff Support:	$60,807,000	$1,378	12%
Administration:	$54,936,000	$1,245	11%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$81,558,000	$1,849	16%
Total Capital Outlay:	$11,493,000	$260
Construction:	$2,736,000	$62
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$4,332,000	$98
Interest on Debt:	$9,390,000	$212

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."^[2]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	31	61	12	21	30-34	46
2018-2019	41	74	20	30	40-44	55
2017-2018	34	66	14	23	30-34	47
2016-2017	35	67	15	20	30-39	48
2015-2016	9	11-19	5	4	<50	12
2014-2015	56	84	38	46	50-59	67
2013-2014	53	81	35	44	50-59	63
2012-2013	54	78	36	47	50-59	64
2011-2012	50	75	30	42	50-59	60
2010-2011	43	66	24	34	50-59	54

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	31	56	14	19	35-39	45
2018-2019	34	58	16	22	35-39	47
2017-2018	33	57	15	20	30-34	46
2016-2017	32	56	15	18	30-39	43
2015-2016	32	60-64	19	25-29	<50	39
2014-2015	47	68	27	30	40-49	60
2013-2014	49	70	28	31	50-59	61
2012-2013	49	68	28	33	40-49	61
2011-2012	48	65	27	34	50-59	61
2010-2011	47	64	25	33	60-69	59

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	White (%)
2019-2020	87	>=95	85	82	>=80	89
2018-2019	87	90-94	84	77	>=50	90
2017-2018	87	90-94	85	75-79	>=50	88
2016-2017	85	>=95	82	75-79	>=50	86
2015-2016	84	90-94	81	75-79	>=50	86
2014-2015	85	>=90	83	80-84	>=50	87
2013-2014	83	>=90	77	80-84	>=50	85
2012-2013	85	90-94	84	80-84	PS	85
2011-2012	81	>=90	78	80-84	PS	83
2010-2011	82	>=90	79	75-79	PS	84

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.^[3]

Enrollment
Demographics

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023	45,902	1.6
2021-2022	45,176	2.4
2020-2021	44,100	-2.8
2019-2020	45,342	0.6
2018-2019	45,052	0.5
2017-2018	44,822	0.8
2016-2017	44,446	0.1
2015-2016	44,413	1.4
2014-2015	43,797	0.6
2013-2014	43,540	-0.4
2012-2013	43,707	0.9
2011-2012	43,296	1.6
2010-2011	42,589	1.8
2009-2010	41,832	0.7
2008-2009	41,547	0.8
2007-2008	41,230	0.7
2006-2007	40,922	0.3
2005-2006	40,800	0.0
2004-2005	40,805	1.7
2003-2004	40,100	-1.2
2002-2003	40,564	0.1
2001-2002	40,514	1.5
2000-2001	39,915	-7.6
1999-2000	42,929	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE	Hamilton County Schools (%)	Tennessee K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.1	0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	1.8	2.0
Black	24.8	20.7
Hispanic	19.1	13.9
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.0	0.1
Two or More Races	7.6	4.5
White	46.7	58.7

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.^[4]

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Hamilton County Schools had 3,041.33 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.09.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	54.50
Kindergarten:	185.33
Elementary:	1,905.75
Secondary:	895.75
Total:	3,041.33

Hamilton County Schools employed 14.00 district administrators and 184.33 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	14.00
District Administrative Support:	212.50
School Administrators:	184.33
School Administrative Support:	186.00

Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	485.50
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	118.00
Total Guidance Counselors:	102.50
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	0.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	0.00
Librarians/Media Specialists:	61.00
Library/Media Support:	0.00
Student Support Services:	219.50
Other Support Services:	1,232.50

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.^[5]

Hamilton County Schools operates 81 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools
SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Allen Elementary	447	PK-5
Alpine Crest Elementary	319	KG-5
Apison Elementary School	652	PK-5
Barger Academy	314	KG-5
Battle Academy For Teaching Learning	487	PK-5
Bess T Shepherd Elementary	496	KG-5
Big Ridge Elementary	490	KG-5
Brainerd High School	635	9-12
Brown Middle School	344	6-8
Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy	411	PK-5
Central High School	749	9-12
Chattanooga Charter School Of Excellence	390	KG-5
Chattanooga Charter School Of Excellence High	31	9-12
Chattanooga Charter School Of Excellence Middle	174	6-8
Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy	355	6-12
Chattanooga Preparatory School	372	6-12
Chattanooga School For Arts And Sciences Upper	682	6-12
Chattanooga School For The Arts And Science Lower	371	KG-5
Chattanooga School For The Liberal Arts	792	KG-12
Chatt High Center For Creative Arts	649	6-12
Clifton Hills Elementary	668	PK-5
Daisy Elementary	381	PK-5
Dalewood Middle School	258	6-8
Dupont Elementary	233	KG-5
East Brainerd Elementary	1,215	PK-5
East Hamilton High School	1,265	9-12
East Hamilton Middle School	1,007	6-8
East Lake Academy Of Fine Arts	528	6-8
East Lake Elementary	590	PK-5
East Ridge Elementary	996	PK-5
East Ridge High School	1,008	9-12
East Ridge Middle School	701	6-8
East Side Elementary	551	KG-5
Hamilton County Collegiate High At Chattanooga State	131	9-12
Hamilton County Virtual School	337	KG-12
Hardy Elementary School	435	PK-5
Harrison Elementary	1,013	PK-5
Hixson Elementary	402	PK-5
Hixson High School	935	9-12
Hixson Middle School	607	6-8
Howard Connect Academy	253	6-8
Hunter Middle School	738	6-8
Ivy Academy Inc.	440	6-12
Ivy Academy'S Skillern Elementary	66	KG-5
Loftis Middle School	593	6-8
Lookout Mountain Elementary	224	KG-5
Lookout Valley Elementary	268	PK-5
Lookout Valley Middle / High School	318	6-12
Mcconnell Elementary	457	KG-5
Middle Valley Elementary	782	PK-5
Montessori Elementary At Highland Park	268	PK-5
Nolan Elementary	732	KG-5
Normal Park Museum Magnet School	820	PK-8
North Hamilton Elementary	387	PK-5
Ooltewah Elementary	874	PK-5
Ooltewah High School	1,266	9-12
Ooltewah Middle School	519	6-8
Orchard Knob Elementary	477	PK-5
Orchard Knob Middle	334	6-8
Red Bank Elementary	588	PK-5
Red Bank High School	824	9-12
Red Bank Middle School	535	6-8
Rivermont Elementary	379	PK-5
Sale Creek Middle / High School	611	6-12
Sequoyah High School	226	9-12
Signal Mountain Middle/High School	1,368	6-12
Snow Hill Elementary	657	PK-5
Soddy Daisy High School	1,085	9-12
Soddy Daisy Middle School	465	6-8
Soddy Elementary	515	PK-5
Spring Creek Elementary	639	PK-5
Stem School Chattanooga	279	9-12
The Howard School	1,485	9-12
Thrasher Elementary	586	KG-5
Tommie F. Brown Academy	342	PK-5
Tyner Academy	559	9-12
Tyner Middle Academy	392	6-8
Wallace A. Smith Elementary	617	PK-5
Westview Elementary	610	PK-5
Wolftever Creek Elementary	602	PK-5
Woodmore Elementary	301	PK-5

About school boards

Education legislation in Tennessee

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[1] National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024

[2] U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021

[3] National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024

[4] National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024

[5] National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

School Boards	Education Policy	Local Politics	Tennessee

List of school districts in Tennessee Tennessee school board elections, 2025 School board elections, 2025 School board recalls School board authority in Tennessee	Tennessee Department of Education Public education in Tennessee	Municipal government Local courts Local ballot measures Recalls	Tennessee Tennessee elections, 2025 Tennessee State Legislature Tennessee state executive offices

	v • e State of Tennessee Nashville (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy