Latest news with #JonRysewyk
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
KCS Superintendent shares insight into preparations for upcoming school year
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — With another school year behind us, preparation for the upcoming school year is now in full swing. Knox County approved their budget on May 20, of which 66% will go towards Knox County Schools funding. KCS superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk said he is proud of the strides the district is taking with the 865 Academies. Babalu on Gay Street closing for the second time '865 Academies is really about making big small,' Rysewyk said. 'It's really about taking a high school of 2,000 students and trying to make it smaller. We have had great results from less discipline, less failure rates, and we think even increased grad rates. Last year we had a graduation rate of 93% which was one of our highest on record.' School safety is a focal point for the district. This school year it launched its Text-A-Tip app. 'It was a great thing to have that, I think what that does is its something on every students chrome books, so it's about accessibility, do they use it, can they get it. It's also people can text in from their phone,' Rysewyk said. In February, KCS hired Carlo Granillo as its Chief of Security. 'He's a great model for his officers to see,' Rysewyk said. 'He just loves this place, he just wants to protect kids and do well. I see that in his heart and I think he is going to do a great job for us.' Could the University of Tennessee leave the SEC? Lawyer explains new state law The growth in Knox County has also been seen in the district. The school broke ground just a few weeks ago on a new elementary school in Farragut totaling to $43.7 million. 'We also uncovered the best practice, that looking at data the more transitions a kid has, the less likely they are to be successful. We see that sometimes from elementary to middle, that's kind of a big transition for kids to learn hallways, new teachers, new rules,' Rysewyk said. 'Farragut is one of our two communities that still had a primary and intermediate that was created years ago just for a space issue, but we had a chance to come in and go, 'That transition between second and third grade is really an unnecessary transition.'' The district hopes to have the school open in two years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Knox County Schools budget news: Teacher salaries and meal prices are going up
Knox County Board of Education unanimously approved its $700.5 million budget for the next fiscal year, which includes money earmarked for increases to teacher salaries and benefits. The budget has an increase of 3.1% over the current budget, with $19.7 million for teacher salary and benefit increases. The pay hikes are on top of last year's investment to bring teacher salaries in line with neighboring districts. The district's next steps for teacher salaries will be to stay current with market rates by doing annual increases on a schedule, including all eligible employees this year. Another adjustment will be made in the next budget cycle to meet the requirements of the Tennessee Teacher Paycheck Protection Act, which raised the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 for the 2026-2027 school year. KCS will reassess its overall salary rates in 2028, and will continue to do so every three to five years. "This was a pretty tight budget this year," Superintendent Jon Rysewyk said. "We do want to try to do what we can in that, but it really wasn't an oversight. It was really just us having to make some decisions to be able to keep operations the way they are." The board unanimously approved a capital improvements budget of $24.4 million and nutrition budget of $33.76 million. Next, the budgets must be approved by the Knox County Commission. During the public comment period, JLL Transport LLC owner John Llewellyn discussed pay increases for bus drivers amid rising costs. The board will reassess costs in the summer and present the information in the fall to see where the district has saved money to reallocate toward driver pay increases. The board would need to approve it then. KCS will delegate $24.4 million to capital improvements, most of which will cover air conditioning and ventilation for schools, a new gymnasium for Gresham Middle School, facility upgrades, roofing and pavement repairs. Out of the allotment, $1.8 million will be used for the first phase of planning for a new K-8 school for the Mechanicsville, Lonsdale and Beaumont area. The board already approved a $66 million for the new school to serve upwards of 1,600 students by 2028. The district wants to meet the projected increase of approximately 400 school-age kids by 2030 as part of the city of Knoxville's projections for the Transforming Western housing development. The district is in the early stages for a "South Knoxville solution," too, based on projected growth in that part of the county. The district is asking for $51.9 million to develop this plan beginning in fiscal year 2029. The district's budget for the School Nutrition Fund is estimated at $33.76 million. It will increase meal prices due to its increasing costs for labor and food. The price increase will support the 63 KCS schools that are part of Community Eligibility Provision, which provides free breakfasts and lunches for eligible schools. The increase will go in effect at other schools. Old versus new meal prices: Breakfast: $2 current, $2.25 new Elementary lunch: $2.75 current, $3.25 new Middle/high lunch: $3 current, $3.50 new Adult breakfast: $2.25-$2.50 current, $3 new Adult lunch: $3.50-$4 current, $5 new Parents may apply for free meals at Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: KCS budget news: Teacher salaries and meal prices are going up
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Knox County Schools celebrates progress report, improved graduation rate
KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County Schools celebrated the continuing progress it has been working toward and more than a dozen KCS schools being designated by the Tennessee Department of Education as Reward Schools on Tuesday. Knox County Schools met 27 out of their 37 goals for the 2023-2024 school year, they reported during a conference Tuesday. They highlighted some of their improvements including an approximately 3.3% increase in the graduation rate, an increase of 9% in third and fourth grade reading proficiency and an increase of 6% in third and fourth grade math proficiency compared to three years ago. Tennessee DOE releases school letter grades: How did your school do? KCS also revealed other accomplishments including: A 14.3% increase in graduation rates for English language learner students from three years ago A reduction in classroom vacancies from 78 the previous school year, to six at the beginning of this one An increase in math and reading proficiency of 1.4% and 1.2% in math and reading for students with individual education programs compared to the previous year 'We will not waver in our efforts to improve outcomes for every student,' said Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk. 'We made tremendous progress on our four priorities in 2023-24, but we'll continue to move the goalposts to set the example for the next generation in our classrooms. I'm proud of the tremendous work by our teachers, staff, and students to achieve these gains, and I look forward to continuing this momentum in the future.' Mother sues Cocke County Sheriff's Office over daughter's death During the conference, they also celebrated their state-recognized Reward Schools. These are schools that demonstrate high levels of performance or improvement. A.L. Lotts Elementary Bearden Elementary Blue Grass Elementary Bonny Kate Elementary Career Magnet Academy Farragut Intermediate Gap Creek Elementary Gibbs Elementary Hardin Valley Elementary Karns Elementary L&N STEM Academy Mt. Olive Elementary Northshore Elementary Pleasant Ridge Elementary Sequoyah Elementary Shannondale Elementary South Knox Elementary West Valley Middle Statewide, 377 schools were considered reward schools for the 2023-2024 school year. See the full list including many from East Tennessee. In 2024, the state designated KCS as a satisfactory district. In 2022, it was listed as in need of improvement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Knox County Schools teacher suspended with pay after his social media posts spark outrage
Knox County Schools teacher suspended with pay after his social media posts spark outrage Show Caption Hide Caption Superintendent Jon Rysewyk confident Knox Schools are safe places Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk talks about school safety during a news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. A Karns High School social studies teacher has been suspended with pay over posts he made on his personal social media page. The posts mocked DEI programs, trans people and Palestinians; praised Jan. 6 insurrectionists; and included sexist remarks about former Vice President Kamala Harris. A collection of screenshots of his comments and reposts were shared widely in the community. On Feb. 5, the teacher was suspended with pay in accordance with district policy, Knox County Schools spokeswoman Carly Harrington said, pending an investigation. The teacher has been licensed to teach in Tennessee since 2013 and has taught in Nashville. Knox News is not naming him as the investigation plays out. What is the district's policy on social media for teachers? KCS policy leaves personal social media use to the discretion of employees and prohibits using social media to communicate with students. Employees cannot post or disclose any identifiable student information or confidential information on social media sites. The policy does not dictate what employees may post on political issues. Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at Follow her on X @AreenaArora and on Instagram @areena_news.
