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Wlaf1450Special called meeting Tue., at 6pm, at the courthouse to vote on a new director of schools
CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- Second District School Board Member Sharon Ridenour sent a statement to WLAF on Saturday night and requested that it not be released until Monday, April 6, 2026. That statement is below.
Below is a statement from Sharon Ridenour , 2nd District School Board Member, Campbell County Schools
FOR RELEASE ON MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2026
To the Citizens of the Second District:
I want to speak about recent events surrounding the Director of Schools search process and, more importantly, about your representation in that process.
From the beginning, I have approached this responsibility with the understanding that my role is to be your voice at the table. Every vote I cast is not just my own, but a reflection of the trust you have placed in me. That is why I am deeply concerned about the manner in which the upcoming “emergency” meeting to select a Director of Schools has been scheduled.
Our Chairman has unilaterally changed the timeline for the hiring of the Director of the Schools. This decision was made immediately after his preferred candidate experienced public backlash after the Chairman and others voted to interview the Interim Director in clear violation of School Board Policy. The Chairman instructed the Board Secretary to poll the Board for their availability, and then he unilaterally set an “emergency” meeting at a time when he knew I would be unavailable due to a long-planned absence. This absence was planned well in advance and deliberately coordinated around the Board’s established meeting schedule and the original timeline for the Director search. That decision effectively silences the Second District at a critical moment in this process.
Let me be clear: this is not about convenience or personal scheduling conflicts. This is about whether the people of the Second District are afforded their rightful representation when one of the most important decisions facing our school system is made. Even on Friday during the interviews for Director, I informed the Chairman that I would not be able to be at the meeting and asked if he would take this matter up one week later during our regularly scheduled board meeting as originally planned, when all ten School Board members could be present.
This search and the Chairman’s leadership through this search have created unnecessary turmoil and eroded public confidence in our School Board. While I respect the interim Director’s decision to withdraw, the subsequent actions by the Chairman only deepen those concerns. The timing and structure of this “emergency” meeting raise serious questions about whether the process is being steered toward a predetermined outcome, including the possibility of forcing a failed vote in which no candidate is selected.
Both remaining candidates are exceedingly well-qualified. Either individual is capable of leading our school system forward. The candidates and our community deserve a fair, transparent process that allows for full participation by the entire Board. I am concerned that with even one member absent, neither candidate will receive the six votes needed to be selected. I can’t help but wonder if that is why this meeting was scheduled on an “emergency” basis.
Instead, what we are seeing is a process that risks being undermined by maneuvering that excludes a duly elected representative and, by extension, the citizens of the Second District. I will continue to advocate for a fair process, for full representation, and for decisions that are made in the open and with integrity.
Sharon Ridenour
2nd District School Board Member, Campbell County Schools (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/06/2026-6AM)