Kevin Kredell announces run for Knox County School Board District 6, outlines education priorities

Kevin Kredell announced he is running for Knox County School Board District 6 and laid out priorities he says would support students and staff across the northwest part of the county.

Kredell, who identified himself at the start of the announcement, described District 6 as covering Hardin Valley, Karns, Amherst, Ball Camp, Norwood and Pleasant Ridge and said it includes 13 schools. "Hi, I'm Kevin Kredell. I'm running for Knox County School Board District 6," he said.

He said his campaign is motivated in part by family experience in education. "My wife has been an educator for 28 years," Kredell said, and he described daily conversations with her about what is working and what is broken in classrooms as a reason he wants to represent parents, students and teachers.

Kredell pointed to specific qualifications. He said he led a three‑year campaign to get a new Hardin Valley Middle School built, has served eight years running the Hardin Valley Academy Foundation to raise funds and make grants for teacher professional development and facility and technology upgrades, and sits on the Karns Fire Department board where he said he helped make multimillion‑dollar budget and facilities decisions.

He outlined four policy priorities he would pursue if elected. First, he called for expanding career and technical education into middle schools so students can begin exploring pathways earlier. "We are doing a great job" at the high‑school level, he said, and urged extending those opportunities to younger students.

Second, Kredell highlighted special education support staff. "We have 469 special education teacher assistants... They make $30,000 a year on average," he said, calling their work some of the hardest in the schools and saying their compensation should be addressed.

Third, he urged restoring regional curriculum facilitator positions that were cut after a federal funding pause. Kredell said he has heard from principals in six districts about those facilitators' positive impact on classroom performance and teacher support and recommended returning the roles.

Fourth, he raised what he called the "parent responsibility zone": he said roughly 30% of students in parts of District 6 live within about a mile of their school but currently receive no transportation, which he said creates undue burdens for working parents and safety risks for students.

Kredell closed by reiterating his experience and describing himself as a passionate leader who can help Knox County Schools reach "exemplary status." He concluded the remarks with a brief thank you.

No formal endorsements, campaign dates, or fundraising figures were stated in the announcement, and no specific policy proposals (for example, funding sources or timelines for pay increases) were detailed.