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Smith County Board interviews candidates for director of schools amid steep fund‑balance decline
Summary
Two finalists interviewed for Smith County director of schools recommended line‑by‑line budget reviews, a focus on teacher recruitment and retention, and investments in STEM programming to arrest enrollment declines; board members pressed candidates about a fund balance that has fallen to roughly half its earlier level.
The Smith County Board of Education interviewed candidates for director of schools on Monday, pressing them on a recent, sharp decline in the district fund balance and on strategies to boost enrollment, retain teachers and expand STEM instruction.
Both finalists said their immediate priorities would include careful budget reviews and measures to shore up classroom staffing while pursuing programs to attract students. "The TVA scores don't show any growth at all," said Dr. Ash (candidate), describing student‑achievement trends he would target. He added that his first step on the fiscal front would be to "examine the budget line by line" to identify necessary spending and lower‑cost but effective alternatives.
Dr. McDonald (candidate) said updating the district strategic plan and building a continuous pre‑K through 12 STEM pathway would be central to a two‑year recruitment and improvement strategy. "It equals out to a little over $9,000 a student," she said, warning that gaining 100 students could bring nearly $1,000,000 in annual revenue and create new programmatic opportunities.
Why it matters: Board members repeatedly asked about the district's financial picture. One member said the fund balance had been "almost $12,000,000" two years ago and would be "less than half of that" by the end of the current year; another later characterized the decline as a fall from about $11,000,000 to $5,000,000. Neither candidate disputed the need to investigate the drop; Dr. McDonald said the board should "dig into where did that money go" and ensure maintenance‑of‑effort and other requirements are met.
On staffing and retention, the candidates emphasized listening to employees, clarifying expectations and protecting positions that directly affect instruction. Dr. Ash said many teaching positions are set by state rules and recommended filling fewer open positions rather than immediate layoffs. Both candidates highlighted the role of clear communication with parents and community partners, and proposed celebrating local successes — such as school teams advancing to state tournaments — as part of outreach.
On curriculum and programs, Dr. McDonald proposed a two‑year rollout for expanded STEM instruction: a first year focused on training and partnership development, followed by grant‑supported implementation such as robotics classes and elementary STEM labs. Dr. Ash urged vertical alignment of instruction, benchmark testing and professional learning communities to improve outcomes from early grades through high school.
What happens next: The board said it would continue the hiring process at a follow‑up meeting and could select a director at its next session. The meeting adjourned by motion without further action on a hire.
Quotes from the meeting are attributed to board members and candidates as recorded by the meeting transcript.
