The Knoxville School Board is still looking to make $352,000 in budget cuts after initial reductions were made at the Monday night school board meeting. 

The board was presented a budget cut proposal, including a list of 13 different positions totaling just over $725,000. This was a list  that the budget committee had worked on putting together since November. In a 3-2 split vote, the board ultimately voted against approving the entire list, but instead moved ahead with the reduction of eight different positions totaling $373,000. The areas approved to be cut were two instructional coaches to return to the classroom, not hiring a new kindergarten teacher after a retirement, reducing TLC Stipends, replacement of a counselor at West Elementary, and a few others.

Board President Dave Smith had stated that he had tossed around the idea of making a cut to the Activities Director position and putting the AD’s responsibilities on another administrator within the school district. This idea was met with much criticism as Knoxville High School Principal Tracy Wilkins addressed the board by letting them know how crucial the Activities Director position is for the district. Knoxville Community School District Business Manager Craig Mobley said they will now go back to the drawing board to try and reach their $725,000 goal.

“To me it’s not really a surprise. It’s kind of expected. You expect the board to not just take your proposal line for line and approve that. We will go back to the drawing board and come up with some other ideas and take those ideas to the board and see if we can get the cuts of $725,000 accomplished.”

Monica Sullivan and Larry Scott, who were on the budget committee, were the board members who voted yes on the entire list of the budget reductions.