Look for change ahead in Knox County Schools, especially in West Knox County.
Blue Grass Elementary will get a new principal. Jamie Cantrill, principal for the last seven years, has been appointed elementary staffing supervisor effective July 2022. He joined Knox County Schools in 2010 as an assistant principal and athletic director at Karns High School. He held a similar job at Powell High for one year before going to Blue Grass as assistant principal. His degrees are from Berea College and Eastern Kentucky University.
The as-yet-unnamed northwest county elementary school, now under construction on Coward Mill Road, will be headed by Dr. Sunny Poe Scheafnocker, effective July 2022. Her degrees are from the University of Tennessee and Lincoln Memorial University. Previous work for KCS includes: teacher at Fountain City Elementary; assistant principal, Hardin Valley and Amherst elementary schools. She was named principal of Hardin Valley Elementary in 2015, where she currently serves.
Farragut Intermediate School will be headed by Suzanne Parham, who replaces Deborah Adorante. Parham is currently assistant principal at Karns Elementary. During 12 years with KCS, she has worked as a literacy coach, an instructional coach and assistant principal at Northshore, Lonsdale and Karns elementary schools. Her degrees are from Florida State University, UT and LMU.
Tracy Marsh will replace Gina Byrd as principal of A.L. Lotts Elementary School effective July 2022. Marsh joined KCS in 1998 and has taught at Lonsdale and Blue Grass elementary schools and Beaumont Magnet Academy. She has also served as an instructional coach at Farragut Intermediate School and as a lead gifted coach for the district. Her degrees are from ETSU and Tennessee Tech University. Gina Byrd taught at A.L.Lotts before becoming principal at Farragut Intermediate. She is going to the central office as an administrator in school health.
West Hills Elementary will be headed by Kristen Jackson, who has been the school’s assistant principal since 2017. The current principal is Kimberle Harrison, who is retiring after a full career with Knox County Schools. Jackson was a classroom teacher at Christenberry Elementary School. Her degrees are from Carson-Newman and LMU.