KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story Courtesy of WVLT) – Knox County Schools held a meeting on Thursday to discuss and vote on the budget for the 2026-2027 school year.
On Thursday, KCS leaders approved a $717,685,000 general purpose budget while also voting through an $82,011,000 capital budget and a #33,943,000 school nutrition budget.
One of the topics discussed during the meeting focused on staffing tied to enrollment.
According to the budget, KCS will be reducing 57 teaching positions next school year. District officials said this doesn’t necessarily mean those teachers were fired, but that they were moved around to accommodate enrollment numbers throughout the elementary, middle and high school levels.
The budget shows that 19 of 51 elementary schools are losing positions while 20 schools overall are gaining positions.
Here is a full breakdown of each school’s staffing changes:
- Elementary School Staffing
- A.L Lotts Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Adrian Burnett Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- Amherst Elementary – No change
- Ball Camp Elementary – No change
- Bearden Elementary – Gaining 3 teachers
- Beaumont Magnet – No change
- Belle Morris Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- Blue Grass Elementary – No change
- Bonny Kate Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- Brickey-McCloud Elementary – Losing 2 teachers
- Carter Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- Cedar Bluff Elementary – Losing 5 teachers
- Chilhowee Intermediate – No change
- Christenberry Elementary – No change
- Copper Ridge Elementary – No change
- Corryton Elementary – No change
- Dogwood Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- East Knox Elementary – Losing 2 teachers
- Farragut Intermediate – Losing 1 teacher
- Farragut Primary – No change
- Fountain City Elementary – Losing 3 teachers
- Gap Creek Elementary – No change
- Gibbs Elementary – Gaining 3 teachers
- Green Academy – No change
- Halls Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Hardin Valley Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Inskip Elementary – Gaining 2 teachers
- Karns Elementary – Losing 2 teachers
- Lonsdale Elementary – No change
- Maynard Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Mill Creek Elementary – Gaining 2 teachers
- Mooreland Heights Elementary – Losing 3 teachers
- Mount Olive Elementary – Gaining 1 teachers
- New Hopewell Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Northshore Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- Norwood Elementary – No change
- Pleasant Ridge Elementary – No change
- Pond Gap Elementary – No change
- Powell Elementary – Losing 5 teachers
- Ritta Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- Rocky Hill Elementary – Gaining 3 teachers
- Sarah Moore Greene Magnet – Gaining 2 teachers
- Sequoyah Elementary – Losing 2 teachers
- Shannondale Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- South Knox Elementary – No change
- Spring Hill Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Sterchi Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- Sunny View Primary – Losing 1 teacher
- West Haven Elementary – Losing 1 teacher
- West Hills Elementary – Gaining 1 teacher
- West View Elementary – Losing 2 teachers
- Middle School Staffing
- Bearden Middle – Losing 3 teachers
- Carter Middle – No change
- Cedar Bluff Middle – Losing 3 teachers
- Farragut Middle – Losing 2 teachers
- Gibbs Middle – No change
- Gresham Middle – Losing 1 teacher
- Halls Middle – Losing 2 teachers
- Hardin Valley Middle – Gaining 1 teacher
- Holston Middle – Losing 1 teacher
- Karns Middle – Losing 3 teachers
- Northwest Middle – Gaining 4 teachers
- Powell Middle – Losing 1 teacher
- South-Doyle Middle – Losing 1 teacher
- Vine Middle/Magnet – Losing 1 teacher
- West Valley Middle – Gaining 2 teachers
- Whittle Springs Middle – No change
- High School Staffing
- Austin East High – Losing 4 teachers
- Bearden High – Losing 5 teachers
- Carter High – Losing 3 teachers
- Central High – Losing 2 teachers
- Farragut High – Losing 3 teachers
- Fulton High – Losing 1 teacher
- Gibbs High – Losing 1 teacher
- Halls High – Losing 4 teachers
- Hardin Valley Academy – Gaining 1 teacher
- Karns High – Losing 3 teachers
- Powell High – Losing 5 teachers
- South-Doyle High – Losing three teachers
- West High – Losing 2 teachers
- L & N STEM Academy – No change
Board members also pointed to enrollment trends across grade levels, including smaller incoming classes.
Current projections anticipate there will be a decline of 900 students for the 2026-2027 school year. According to the budget, 76% of that projected decline is concentrated at the middle and high school levels. There is also a significant projected decline in 11th and 12th grade students.
According to KCS, the budget is allocated to the following categories:
- 67% to salaries and wages
- 18% to payroll taxes and employee benefits
- 6% to contracted services
- 4% to supplies and materials
- 4% to other uses
- 1% to debt service and capital leases
The school board says the budget must be submitted to county commission by May 1.
You can read the entire budget by clicking here. https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1776343941/knoxschoolsorg/svyudsv46su2sau6piva/FY27BudgetBook.pdf
