Knox County school board members select their new chair and vice chair

Betsy Henderson is the new Knox County school board chair and Steve Triplett will serve as vice chair.

Henderson represents the Hardin Valley and Karns communities and the district's latest school, Mill Creek Elementary. She was nominated by Susan Horn and won 5-3 with Katherine Bike, John Butler and Daniel Watson voting against her and Jennifer Owen choosing to pass on a vote.

Henderson beat Watson, who was nominated by Butler. Last year, she beat Watson 5-4 for the vice chair position.

Henderson is replacing Kristi Kristy. Last year, Kristy was elected without opposition.

Steve Triplett takes the vice chair role

Horn nominated Steve Triplett for the position and Bike nominated Butler, who declined his nomination but instead nominated Watson once again.

Owen asked Mike McMillan if he would be interested but he declined the invitation.

Triplett beat Watson 5-3 with the same split and Owen choosing to pass again.

The board chair's powers include working with the superintendent to put together meeting agendas and budgets. The chair is responsible for conducting meetings. The vice chair fills in when the chair is absent.

The two are elected for one-year terms.

The school board elections became partisan two years ago and since then five of the nine seats have been up for elections.

District 2, 3, 5 and 8 seats will be up for election next year. The board’s current makeup has a 5-4 split typically favoring the conservative-leaning members.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AreenaArora.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County school board members select their new chair and vice chair