Campbell County Schools is searching for Director of Schools; application deadline Thursday

CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN. (WLAF)- This is a letter to the Publisher from Dr. Robert Angel, Ph. D. Angel is a former Campbell County Schools Administrator and has been in education for more than 25 years.

The Campbell County School Board is preparing to make one of the most significant decisions entrusted to it by the voters: the selection of the next Director of Schools. This decision is not ceremonial, nor is it about personalities or settling old scores.  It should only be about what’s best for the students and by that, I mean every child in every school across this county, from White Oak to Jellico, from Valley View to Caryville, from kindergarten through graduation. The responsibility of district leadership is to serve the entire system as one unified whole, ensuring that every classroom and every student is considered in the decisions that shape the future of our schools.

But before any meaningful conversation can occur about candidates, vision statements, or promises, there must first be an honest discussion about reality. That reality begins with an understanding of TISA, a term many have heard but few fully grasp. TISA, the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act, was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2022 under Governor Bill Lee. It replaced the long-standing Basic Education Program (BEP), which primarily funded districts based on staffing formulas that determined how many positions a system “should” have according to enrollment.

TISA represents a philosophical shift. Rather than funding positions, it funds students. Each student generates a base funding amount in state funding, and additional weighted funding is generated for specific student groups. Districts are expected to use their allocations strategically to improve measurable student outcomes. There is something else that matters now more than people realize, and that is attendance. Students must be in seats.

If students are absent, not only does learning suffer, but the district feels it financially and academically. Attendance affects achievement. Achievement affects how competitive the district looks. And under a student-based funding system, enrollment stability and student engagement matter more than ever.

Campbell County does not benefit from the explosive population growth seen in suburban counties near Nashville. It does not possess expanding tax bases like Williamson County, nor does it have the tourism-driven revenue streams of some other systems. It has what it has. That reality means fewer students equate to fewer dollars. Flat academic performance offers no competitive advantage to attract new families. Limited local revenue leaves little room to offset shortfalls from the state. This is not a political argument; it is simple mathematics.

The next Director of Schools cannot alter the county’s demographics. The school board cannot manufacture new revenue streams by wishful thinking. The County Commission is understandably cautious in a community with many retirees and fixed-income families, to enthusiastically support tax increases. Given those constraints, priorities must be clearly defined, and they must begin with protecting classroom instruction.

Under TISA, academic outcomes matter more than ever. Literacy rates, math proficiency, graduation rates, and college and career readiness indicators are not merely statistics, they are directly tied to the district’s sustainability. Tennessee’s accountability system measures schools by proficiency, growth (TVAAS), graduation rates, and readiness metrics. Poor outcomes damage more than reputation; they threaten long-term viability. Families today have options: homeschooling, private education, neighboring districts, and even charter school expansions. When families perceive stronger results elsewhere, enrollment shifts, and when enrollment shifts, funding follows.

There is a temptation to speak dramatically about “saving” the district, but this is not a movie script. No one is arriving to rescue Campbell County Schools. The next director will inherit structural funding limitations, a rural tax base, enrollment realities, and a funding formula that rewards growth while punishing decline. The real issue is not whether someone can perform miracles. It is whether someone understands the constraints.

Every candidate will likely speak about unity, innovation, community involvement, or expanding programs. Those are admirable themes, but they do not fund the budget. When revenue is limited, leadership narrows to two options: increase revenue or reduce expenditures. There is no third alternative. If raising taxes is politically unrealistic, then efficiency and strategic reduction become necessary tools of stewardship. Acknowledging that truth is not negativity; it is responsible governance.

The school board’s responsibility is not to select the most charismatic speaker. It is to select the most competent leader. Board members must ask direct and uncomfortable questions. How will classroom instruction be protected if enrollment declines? How will literacy and math outcomes improve under all accountability structures? What programs would be reduced if revenue drops? How will staffing levels be managed responsibly? What strategies will stabilize enrollment? If those questions cannot be answered clearly and specifically, then the candidate does not fully understand the environment they seek to lead.

Campbell County Schools function. Teachers report to work. Buses run their routes. Students graduate. But functioning is not the same as thriving. Thriving requires focus and focus demands discipline. Not every good idea can be funded. Not every tradition can be preserved indefinitely. Not every memory of former success justifies continued financial commitment if it detracts from core academic instruction. In environments with limited resources, leadership is defined less by what is embraced and more by what is said no to.

Campbell County is not broken. It is small, rural, and financially limited. But those characteristics do not equate to failure. The true question is whether the next director, and the ten board members casting votes, understand the environment in which they operate. This decision is not about salvation or dramatic transformation. It is about responsible leadership within enduring limits.

If the board prioritizes students and safeguards classroom instruction above nostalgia and personality, the district can remain stable and focused. If it does not, no slogan, no personality, and no appeal for “fixing” the schools will overcome the realities dictated by mathematics. The future of Campbell County Schools will not be determined by who speaks the most eloquently or claims the most personal achievements. It will be determined by who understands the numbers.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-02/25/2026-6AM)

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