Knox County School Board OKs new contract for Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk, hires consultant for mask mandate case

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Jon Rysewyk now has a starting day as the chief of Knox County Faculties. The university board voted 8-1 to accept the contract brought prior to them on Wednesday evening. Rysewyk will formally take in excess of as superintendent at midnight June 4, just a day soon after the remaining Knox County high college graduation.

Virginia Babb was the lone no vote. Babb claimed she thinks June 4 is also late for Rysewyk to commence considering the fact that most conclusions on school principal positions are created in May for the adhering to school calendar year. Having said that, she did say that outgoing Superintendent Bob Thomas should really be current for the large school graduation ceremonies as the “symbolic leader of educational facilities.”

College board member Daniel Watson also expressed his considerations on making sure Thomas was current for higher college graduations in his superintendent job.

“I know your coronary heart is to complete potent, and I think this enables you to do that with this present-day graduating course,” Watson mentioned to Thomas.

Rysewyk, who currently serves as chief educational officer for KCS, said that he has no anxieties about performing with Thomas by way of Might when it arrives to creating conclusions on who will be principal at each Knox County college for the 2022-23 faculty year.

Thomas will stay on as a specialist until eventually the end of his contract following June 3.

The board also voted to use D. Scott Bennett as guide to the Knox County Regulation Office as it faces an injunction in a scenario about mask mandates in schools. The injunction submitted by mother and father of 4 students with disabilities imposed a mask mandate on all Knox County College college students.

The board voted 5-2, with two abstentions, to employ the service of Bennett as a specialist. Knox County Deputy Legislation Director Gary Dupler stated Bennett will not be able to litigate on behalf of the board but the legislation division has “fought from masks (mandates) and will keep on to do so.”

Bennett, who serves as legal professional for Hamilton County Universities, was hired at $350 for each hour. When requested about how very long his companies may be required, Dupler reported it is unfamiliar how extended the legal method will take because there would continue to have to be a discovery interval and demo except if a resolution was arrived at. He “guesstimated” the bare minimum would be $10,000-$20,000.

Board Chairwoman Kristi Kristy and Betsy Henderson voted versus the employing. Henderson sought other possibilities for the posture stating that Bennett experienced by now misplaced a situation where he was representing Hamilton County Schools relating to the Us citizens with Disabilities Act.

“To place a getting rid of scenario on his resume to us is a little discerning to me,” Henderson claimed. “I would like to see an lawyer who wins ADA conditions and at the appeals level. We’re losing on our individual. I really don’t assume we need to have to increase anyone who’s getting rid of to the exact same lawyers that we’re losing to.”

Owens and Satterfield abstained from the vote.

The board also accepted a pair of contracts, just one for 4 years with All Occasions Bash Rentals for graduation levels and $4 million deal to make a softball complicated for West Higher School.