June 6, 2016 www.knoxfocus.com PAGE A1 WANTED Quality Consignments. Quality Antiques. Fountain City Auction for all of your auction needs (865)604-3468 FREE Take One! June 6, 2016 School Board Area mayors Votes to Approve discuss Amended 225 YEARS loss of jail Disparities funding Resolution By Mike Steely By Sally Absher [email protected] [email protected] A meeting of East Tennessee The draft Disparities in Edu- Mayors Thursday saw a discus- cational Outcomes Task Force sion of the loss of state funds Report and Recommendations for state prisoners being housed were discussed at length during in county jail. Maryville’s mayor, three Board of Education meet- Tom Taylor, began the discussion ings in the past two weeks. by saying that Blount County’s Over the past 18 months, the seven mayors met on the situ- Disparities in Educational Out- ation last week and cited over- comes (DEO) task force conduct- crowding in the jail with federal ed a comprehensive review of and state prisoners. data including: school and district Taylor told the other mayors, demographics; academic and meeting in the East Tennessee discipline outcomes for all stu- Foundation offices on Summit dents; law enforcement reports; Drive, that the state only pays KCS employee demographics $38 per day in upkeep for state and recruitment efforts; and best prisoners and the federal gov- PHOTO BY DAN ANDREWS. practices from other districts. ernment pays $80 per day and Comparing the statistics of Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville, Calvin Chappelle, Heritage Tourism Coordinator of Visit only federal funds are received in-school-suspensions (ISS) Knoxville, and Department of Tennessee Development Commissioner Kevin Triplett unveil the post- for medical care. and out-of-school suspensions er commemorating Knoxville’s 225 years. He said the counties have little (OSS) for various student popu- input to the state and when he lations, the study found that cer- In honor of Knoxville’s 225th “We are excited to receive significance Knoxville has had applied for relief from the state tain groups were being suspend- anniversary, a one-of-a-kind this recognition from Commis- on Tennessee, a special art- during the budget surplus he had ed at a higher ration than other piece of artwork was presented sioner Triplett and the state piece was created by award- no response. groups. Subgroups examined Friday by Tennessee Tourism tourism office,” said Lyons. “It winning Knoxville-based design Ed Mitchell, Mayor of Blount include Ethnicity: Indian, Asian, Commissioner Kevin Triplett to is moments like these that we firm designsensory. The design County, said the state has prom- Black, Hispanic, Hawaiian, and the City of Knoxville. The pre- have the opportunity to reflect features locations, events and ised to increase the funding for White; Gender: female and male; sentation took place at James on our community’s histori- notes of significance for the state prisoners by one dollar Economically Disadvantaged (ED): White’s Fort, the founding loca- cal significance, present-day city’s accomplishments over each per year and $6 over the yes or no; Students with Disabilities tion of the city’s birth. Deputy vibrancy and look ahead at the the past 225 years. next six years. But he explained (SWD): yes or no; and English lan- to the Mayor, Chief Policy Offi- success and possibilities to Each of the words is placed the program hasn’t kicked in guage learners (ELL): yes or no. cer William (Bill) Lyons was in come.” strategically to create the num- yet. The data indicate: attendance to receive the gift In honor of all the mile- bers “225.” The original design “They’ve turned the county • Disparities in discipline on behalf of Mayor Madeline stones, the iconic venues, the is trimmed with a timeline of jails into state prisons,” he said, do exist for students in the Black, Rogero for the city. great accomplishments and the Continued on page 4 adding that an effort to resolve SWD, ED, and male subgroups. the problem “starts right here.” • Poverty has a significant Ron Woody, Roane County impact on educational outcomes Executive, told the meeting that for all subgroups of students. the state funding “is killing us.” • There appears to be a The State of He said that they should push negative correlation between the state to up the funding and suspension rates and academic pay medical for the prisoners. performance. Franklin and Wood said that for prisoners • KCS is improving. The held on state charges no funds achievement gap met state tar- are received until a conviction is gets for reduction in nine out of given, meaning a state prison- 16 areas in 2014-2015. But sig- James White Fort er could stay in county jails for nificant achievement gaps still By Mike Steely months with no state funding. persist. [email protected] David Dailey, David Adams, Mitchell responded by also Using stakeholder feedback Jerry Mustin, Paula Green, blaming longer and longer sen- from community and educa- James White, the founder of Rachael and Mike Walker, Chip tences for prisoners, adding that tor forums and other communi- Knoxville, was at Fort James Bailey, Miranda and Peggy Hall many prisoners don’t have the ty outreach initiatives (Save our White Fort recently to com- and many others. money to pay fines or court costs Sons, Push Out/Teach In) and memorate the State of Frank- The fort’s founder, James and must remain in jail. the District webpage, the DEO lin Day. So were John Sevier, White, came to what would “They just sit there,” said Larry Task Force identified four general William and Mary Blount, and become Knoxville and built a Waters, Mayor of Sevier County, focus areas: training, programs, many other period costumed two-story log cabin in 1786. He PHOTO BY MIKE STEELY. adding that 75 percent of the policies and practices, and per- characters. The characters, all soon enclosed the cabin and prisoners there are in for pre- Peggy Laxton (left) and Sara sonnel. members of Tennesseans for other buildings with a stockade scription drug offenses. Grace Walker welcome visitors Acknowledging the need for Living History, were at the fort fence and opened his home for “In the legislature no one is to the “State of Franklin Day” “immediate action as well as as various historic figures and trade with the regional Cher- looking at how it affects us local- at White’s Fort recently. strategic implementation over a greeted visitors. okee. He sold lots and devel- ly,” said Knox County Mayor five-year period,” the Task Force The Living History group oped the town and soon played Tim Burchett. He said the cost presented a draft Recommenda- returned to the fort recently for a part in the short-lived State law, Charles McClung, sixty- of drugs for prisoners and the tions/Action Plan detailing a total a State of Franklin Day. of Franklin. four lots were laid off, each upcoming loss of the state Hall of thirty six action items in the The spirit of James White White arrived with a land with about an acre of land. Tax could result in a county prop- four focus areas, which McIntyre walked the grounds at the fort grant of 1,000 acres for his White named the new town for erty tax. called “smart, common sense, during the Franklin celebration service in the Revolutionary Henry Knox, the first Secretary “When they put them in our reasonable approaches.” The in the person of Mike Walker. War. He talked with the Chero- of War. care they come off of Tenncare,” recommendations were pre- Robert Woods took on the role kee about treaties and opened White lived at the fort until Burchett said, adding an extra sented at the May 25 mid-month of William Blount and Lynn Fox his fortified home for the peace 1793 when he moved up river burden. He also said that having Board meeting. appeared as John Sevier. Other talks and trade with the tribe. and was later promoted to Gen- to have two deputies to take Amber Rountree, who served members of Tennesseans for In 1791 White set aside part eral in the War of 1812. He was mentally ill prisoners to Middle as the Board representative on Living History to participate in of his holdings to establish a involved in the formation of the Tennessee is an expense as the task force, said her biggest the event included Peggy and town. First Presbyterian Church and well. Continue on page 2 Levi Laxton, Sara Grace Walker, With the help of his son-in- Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4 Spotlit on Disleksia PAGE A2 The Knoxville Focus June 6, 2016 Honor Fountain City Day was great! By Mike Steely [email protected] ood weather, great organization and a huge turnout all combined to make this year’s Honor Fountain City Day a success. The theme was “A GCommunity of Volunteers” and the many people who helped to organize and put on the recent celebration, sponsored by the Fountain City Town Hall, were evident as local people, visitors, elected officers, political candi- dates and vendors not only honored the North Knoxville community but military veterans as well. Patriotic music filled the air, vendors offered their wares, and the event culminated when Fountain City Town Hall chairperson Jamie Rowe took the microphone and introduced those public officials in attendance. Rev. Don Grady, Pastor of Shannondale Presbyterian Church, gave the invocation and Boy Scout Troop 55 presented the flag and led the Pledge of Allegiance. After Lyn Bennett sang “The Star Spangled Banner,” Fountain City Historian and author Dr.