KCS Superintendent shares insight into preparations for upcoming school year

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — With another school year behind us, preparation for the upcoming school year is now in full swing.
Knox County approved their budget on May 20, of which 66% will go towards Knox County Schools funding. KCS superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk said he is proud of the strides the district is taking with the 865 Academies.
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'865 Academies is really about making big small,' Rysewyk said. 'It's really about taking a high school of 2,000 students and trying to make it smaller. We have had great results from less discipline, less failure rates, and we think even increased grad rates. Last year we had a graduation rate of 93% which was one of our highest on record.'
School safety is a focal point for the district. This school year it launched its Text-A-Tip app.
'It was a great thing to have that, I think what that does is its something on every students chrome books, so it's about accessibility, do they use it, can they get it. It's also people can text in from their phone,' Rysewyk said.
In February, KCS hired Carlo Granillo as its Chief of Security.
'He's a great model for his officers to see,' Rysewyk said. 'He just loves this place, he just wants to protect kids and do well. I see that in his heart and I think he is going to do a great job for us.'
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The growth in Knox County has also been seen in the district. The school broke ground just a few weeks ago on a new elementary school in Farragut totaling to $43.7 million.
'We also uncovered the best practice, that looking at data the more transitions a kid has, the less likely they are to be successful. We see that sometimes from elementary to middle, that's kind of a big transition for kids to learn hallways, new teachers, new rules,' Rysewyk said. 'Farragut is one of our two communities that still had a primary and intermediate that was created years ago just for a space issue, but we had a chance to come in and go, 'That transition between second and third grade is really an unnecessary transition.''
The district hopes to have the school open in two years.
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