Latest news with #Rysewyk
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Knox County Schools superintendent: 'Our values wouldn't change' even if federal funds do
Knox County Schools has already worked through one change handed down from the Trump administration on DEI compliance, and Superintendent Jon Rysewyk says he's ready for whatever comes next. As confusion swirls around the future of the U.S. Department of Education, which President Donald Trump plans to disband, Rysewyk said he's staying focused on the district's core priorities. "We can't control what comes out of Washington, we can't control what comes out of Nashville, but we can control what we do in Knoxville every day. We can control what we do in classrooms every day," he told Knox News. "We're going to continue to build those relationships. We're going to continue to give kids opportunities." Rysewyk related the federal uncertainty to recent state law changes on holding back third-graders over reading scores and reviewing content of library books. KCS staffers developed strategies to comply while placing students and their education first. Changes could be on the horizon, too, for the millions of dollars the district receives from the federal government each year. KCS received $35.8 million in the most recent year. The district hasn't received any communication on the future of federal funding, including whether a state agency will distribute it or if it will stop altogether. Rysewyk keeps an eye on the news to stay up to date. For now, the district is planning to keep operations as normal as possible by "assuming that those funds will still be there," Rysewyk told Knox News. A recent federal order called for K-12 schools to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices commonly referred to as DEI. Trump threatened Title I funding for schools in economically disadvantaged areas if those schools didn't comply with DEI orders, according to USA TODAY. KCS receives Title I funding and mainly uses it for educator salaries. KCS found it already followed the rules in the Trump order and signed a compliance letter. Compliance letters are a routine part of the work involved in obtaining federal funding. 'It's not unusual for pretty much all of our federal funds that we do on an annual basis,' Rysewyk said. 'This one's getting more attention because of executive orders and things that are being signed.' In March, Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, a chance that would require Congress to properly dismantle the federal agency. For the fiscal year 2025, KCS received more than $35 million in federal funding with most of it going to Title I schools and to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act services for special education. Other federal funding pays for technical education, teacher development, learning for nonnative English speakers and student supports. "I think the reality of it is no district that I know of has contingency dollars to offset (a loss in federal funding)," Rysewyk said. "I think the conversations about federal dollars, the state has been having those for a couple years: 'What do we get from there?' And there's no way at the local level that that could just be made up. We're not talking $10 million, we're talking hundreds of millions of dollars when you when you add all those in.' The district's budget for the 2024-25 school year was $684 million, which includes money to lower teacher-to-student ratios in low-income schools unrelated to the federal dollars. Federal funding is then applied to improvement plans, hiring staff and lowering those ratios even more. 'If all those funds went away, our mission would still be to find a way to serve and prepare the next generation. There would be challenges if we didn't have all those dollars," Rysewyk said. "That's why we kind of wait and see what that looks like on the other side.' One thing the U.S. Department of Education doesn't have a hand in is school curriculum. KCS follows the Tennessee State Standards from the Tennessee Department of Education. Rysewyk brought up his four KCS priorities and how they guide the district's direction through unprecedented changes. Excellence in foundational skills, particularly early literacy and middle-school math Providing great educators in every school Career empowerment and preparation Success for every student 'Our values wouldn't change, our priorities wouldn't change and our mission wouldn't change," he said. "Whatever hand we're dealt, we're going to move to make sure those things still happen, because our future depends on it, the kids' future depends on it, and I think our team really understands that.' 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 its keeps priorities amid Department of Education uncertainty
