Knox County Schools elections (2014)
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Five seats on the Knox Board of Education were up for primary election on May 6, 2014. The election was for Districts 1, 4, 6, 7 and 9. Incumbent board chair Lynne Fugate and newcomer Amber Rountree won Districts 4 and 9, respectively. In District 9, Rountree defeated incumbent and business owner Pam Trainor; she was the only candidate in this election to overcome an existing board member. District 7 candidate Patti Lou Bounds was uncontested and won by default.
Since no candidate received a simple majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters in Districts 1 and 6 moved onto the general election on August 7, 2014. Incumbent Gloria Deathridge defeated retired social worker Marshall Walker in District 1, while Terry Hill, also a retired social worker, defeated community activist Sandra Rowcliffe in District 6. Neither incumbent filed for re-election in Districts 1 and 6, so both members elected to the board are new.[1]
About the district
- See also: Knox County School District, Tennessee
Knox County School District is located in Knox County in eastern Tennessee. Knox County was home to 444,350 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[2] In the 2012-2013 school year, Knox County School District was the third-largest school district in Tennessee and served 58,929 students.[3]
Demographics
Knox County overperformed in comparison to the rest of Tennessee in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 34.3 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 23.8 percent for Tennessee as a whole. The median household income was $47,694 compared to $44,298 for the state of Tennessee. The poverty rate in Knox County was 14.6 percent compared to 17.6 percent for the entire state.[2]
| Racial Demographics, 2013[2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Knox County (%) | Tennessee (%) |
| White | 86.4 | 79.1 |
| Black or African American | 9.1 | 17.0 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Asian | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Two or More Races | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7 | 4.9 |
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.
Voter and candidate information
The Knox Board of Education consists of nine members elected by district to four-year terms. There was a primary election on May 6, 2014, and the general election was held on August 7, 2014. No seats will be up for election in 2015, and four seats will be on the ballot in 2016.[4]
Candidates for the Board of Education must be 18 years old, citizens of the United States and residents of the district. They must also file proof of graduation from high school or receipt of a GED with the county election commission.[5]
Elections
2014
Candidates
District 1
- Robert Boyd
- Graduate, Queens College City University of New York and Columbia University
- Educator
- Gloria Deathridge
- Incumbent and board vice chair
- Realtor
- Campaign website: Click here
- Marshall Walker
- Graduate, University of Tennessee
- Retired KCS social worker
District 4
- Sally Absher
- Graduate, Wittenberg University and University of Tennessee
- Geologist
- Campaign website: Click here
- Jeffrey S. (Scott) Clark
- Graduate, University of Tennessee and Lincoln Memorial University
- Flight instructor
- Lynne Fugate
- Incumbent and board chair
- Graduate, University of Tennessee
- Executive Vice President, CapitalMark Bank & Trust
- Campaign website: Click here
District 6
- Bradley Buchanan
- Graduate, Milligan College and East Tennessee State University
- Architect
- Campaign website: Click here
- Terry Hill
- Graduate, University of Central Florida and University of Tennessee
- Retired social worker
- Campaign website: Click here
- Sandra Rowcliffe
- Graduate, Tennessee Technological University
- Community activist
- Campaign website: Click here
- Tamara Shepherd
- Former accountant, community volunteer
- Campaign website: Click here
District 7
- Patti Lou Bounds
- Graduate, University of Tennessee
- Retired educator
- Campaign website: Click here
District 9
- Amber Rountree
- Graduate, University of Tennessee and Florida State University
- School librarian
- Campaign website: Click here
- Pam Trainor
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Tennessee
- Business owner
District map
Note: Two candidates, Andrew Graybeal and R. Larry Smith, originally filed for the District 7 seat but later withdrew.
Election results
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Gloria Deathridge Incumbent |
46.4% | 657 | |
| Nonpartisan | Marshall Walker |
27.7% | 392 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Boyd | 25.9% | 366 | |
| Total Votes | 1,415 | |||
| Source: WADE.com, "Election results," May 22, 2014 These results are official. | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Lynne Fugate Incumbent |
54.4% | 2,327 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sally Absher | 34.3% | 1,464 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeffrey S. (Scott) Clark | 11.3% | 483 | |
| Total Votes | 4,274 | |||
| Source: WADE.com, "Election results," May 22, 2014 These results are official. | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Terry Hill |
42.9% | 1,394 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sandra Rowcliffe |
22.8% | 742 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bradley Buchanan | 19.1% | 622 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tamara Shepherd | 15.1% | 491 | |
| Total Votes | 3,249 | |||
| Source: WADE.com, "Election results," May 22, 2014 These election results are unofficial. These results are official. | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Patti Lou Bounds |
100% | 2,658 | |
| Total Votes | 2,658 | |||
| Source: WADE.com, "Election results," May 22, 2014 These results are official. | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Amber Rountree |
58.5% | 1,458 | |
| Nonpartisan | Pam Trainor Incumbent | 41.5% | 1,036 | |
| Total Votes | 2,494 | |||
| Source: WADE.com, "Election results," May 22, 2014 These results are official. | ||||
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Gloria Deathridge Incumbent |
53.7% | 1,560 | |
| Nonpartisan | Marshall Walker | 46.3% | 1,346 | |
| Total Votes | 2,906 | |||
| Source: Knox County, Tennessee, "Cumulative Report — Official, state Primary and County General Election, August 7, 2014," accessed June 8, 2015 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Lynne Fugate Incumbent |
100% | 6,859 | |
| Total Votes | 6,859 | |||
| Source: Knox County, Tennessee, "Cumulative Report — Official, state Primary and County General Election, August 7, 2014," accessed June 8, 2015 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Terry Hill |
62% | 4,118 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sandra Rowcliffe | 38% | 2,519 | |
| Total Votes | 6,637 | |||
| Source: Knox County, Tennessee, "Cumulative Report — Official, state Primary and County General Election, August 7, 2014," accessed June 8, 2015 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Patti Lou Bounds |
100% | 5,005 | |
| Total Votes | 5,005 | |||
| Source: Knox County, Tennessee, "Cumulative Report — Official, state Primary and County General Election, August 7, 2014," accessed June 8, 2015 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Amber Rountree |
100% | 3,215 | |
| Total Votes | 3,215 | |||
| Source: Knox County, Tennessee, "Cumulative Report — Official, state Primary and County General Election, August 7, 2014," accessed June 8, 2015 | ||||
Endorsements
District 6 candidate Bradley Buchanan was endorsed by local publication, Metro Pulse.[6] Also in District 6, candidate Terry Hill was endorsed by Tennessee House of Representatives member Roger Kane and the Knoxville News Sentinel.[7]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $76,536.45 and spent a total of $38,005.18 by the April 29 pre-election reporting deadline, according to the Knox County Clerk.[8]
In the District 1 race, candidates raised a total of $8,258.25 and spent a total of $1,315.26.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Boyd | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Gloria Deathridge | $7,491.54 | $1,072.12 | $6,419.42 |
| Marshall Walker | $766.71 | $243.14 | $523.57 |
In the District 4 race, candidates raised a total of $35,520.87 and spent a total of $20,949.86.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sally Absher | $6,440.74 | $5,699.58 | $741.16 |
| Jeffrey S. (Scott) Clark | $791.57 | $546.54 | $245.03 |
| Lynne Fugate | $28,288.56 | $14,703.74 | $13,584.82 |
In the District 6 race, candidates raised a total of $22,059.42 and spent a total of $10,743.83.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Buchanan | $1,487.38 | $1,363.80 | $123.58 |
| Terry Hill | $8,150.90 | $2,990.14 | $5,160.76 |
| Sandra Rowcliffe | $8,532.04 | $5,444.48 | $3,087.56 |
| Tamara Shepherd | $3,889.10 | $945.41 | $2,943.69 |
In the District 7 race, Patti Lou Bounds raised a total of $4,031.04 and did not expend anything.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patti Lou Bounds | $4,031.04 | $0.00 | $4,031.04 |
In the District 9 race, candidates raised a total of $6,666.87 and spent a total of $4,996.23.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Rountree | $2,288.50 | $1,473.29 | $815.21 |
| Pam Trainor | $4,378.37 | $3,522.94 | $855.43 |
What was at stake?
Issues in the district
Tennessee Education Association vs. Knox County Board of Education lawsuit
In March 2014, the Tennessee Education Association (TEA) filed a lawsuit against the Knox County Board of Education, citing that the system "[unconstitutionally used] Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS) estimates in high-stakes bonus decisions." The investigation focused on Knox County teacher Lisa Trout, who they said was unjustly denied a bonus as a result of the ambiguous TVAAS system. The TEA maintained that the TVAAS estimates were misleading, being that they only used a small segment of student test scores to determine teacher effectiveness. According to the TEA, the issue with Trout echoed a larger fundamental problem affecting teachers across the state.[9]
Smart Spending grant
In July 2013, Knox County School District received a $1.2 million "Smart Spending" grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of the grant was to provide assistance to district officials in "[better aligning] its financial resources and the schools' educational mission." The district received $850,000 from the foundation and the remainder from the Great Schools Partnership. Knox County School District was one of only four school districts in the U.S. to receive such a grant.[10]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Knox County School District election in 2014:[11][12]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| April 7, 2014 | Final day to register to vote (before Knox County Primary Election) |
| April 16, 2014 | First day of the early voting period (for Knox County Primary Election) |
| April 29, 2014 | Final day to request an absentee ballot (for Knox County Primary Election) |
| May 1, 2014 | Final day of the early voting period (for Knox County Primary Election) |
| May 6, 2014 | Election Day (Knox County Primary Election) |
| July 8, 2014 | Final day to register to vote (before State Primary and County General Election) |
| July 18, 2014 | First day of the early voting period (for State Primary and County General Election) |
| July 31, 2014 | Final day to request an absentee ballot (for State Primary and County General Election) |
| August 2, 2014 | Final day of the early voting period (for State Primary and County General Election) |
| August 6, 2014 | First day to request an absentee ballot (for State General Election) |
| August 7, 2014 | Election Day (State Primary and County General Election) |
Additional elections on the ballot
In the August 7 general election, the municipal offices of circuit court judges, the county mayor, the county clerk, numerous seats on the county commission and various others were on the Knox County ballot. Statewide offices for the Tennessee House of Representatives, the Tennessee Senate and the Tennessee Governor appeared on the ballot as well.[13]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Knox + County + School + District + Tennessee"
See also
- Tennessee
- Knox County School District, Tennessee
- Tennessee school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Knox County, Tennessee ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Tennessee
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ WATE.com, "Election results," accessed May 7, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 United States Census Bureau, "Knox County, Tennessee," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ Knox County Schools, "Board of Education," accessed May 6, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ Knox County Clerk, "Qualifications for Elected Offices in Tennessee," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Buchanan 4 Kids, "Endorsements," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Terry Hill for School Board," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Knox County Clerk, "Financial Disclosures," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ WBIR, "Knox Co. Schools sued over use of teacher test scores," March 10, 2014
- ↑ WBIR, "Knox Co. Schools receives $1.2M grant from Gates Foundation," July 8, 2014
- ↑ Vote 411, "Knoxville 2014 Elections Schedule," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedballot - ↑ Knox County, Tennessee, "August 7, 2014 – Knox County General Election - Offices on the Ballot," accessed May 23, 2014
