Commissioner Gill opposes pushed school opening dates

A statement regarding the scheduled opening date of Knox County schools for the 2020-21 school year as victims of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate.

KNOXVILLE, TN (July 20, 2020) – As Knox County Commissioner of District One, I cannot support the forthcoming plan by Superintendent Bob Thomas and the Knox County School Board’s recommendation to open Knox County schools in August. This decision will jeopardize the safety of our children, teachers, and staff. In effect, by opening schools, the message to families and teachers is that they need to bear the burden and risk the ultimate sacrifice for the public good.

The presented plan (to open all schools on August 17) is insufficient and costly, and it could cause irrevocable harm to our schools and greater community. The time is now to take a stand and redirect our narrative in support of public education and advocate for delaying the opening of Knox County Schools until after Labor Day or when additional time, guidance from the CDC/Knox County Health Department, and more resources can safeguard our students, teachers, and staff.

What the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare is multiple systemic inequities embedded in our major institutions in Knox County as well as the rest of the country. The blatant disparities in our Schools (of which District 1 has sixteen) healthcare, broadband accessibility, environment, utilities, housing, employment, and public safety is appalling, and it is exhausting to thousands of the most vulnerable people in Knox County.

In today’s highly polarized environment, some people have chosen to respond to this pandemic politically rather than acknowledging the coronavirus as a medical contagion spreading throughout our County and nation.

As a community, we are witnessing the effects of poor decisions made by elected leaders at the federal, state, and local levels that jeopardize and disproportionately impact those with limited resources and minimal political influence. These decisions continue to erode public confidence in our institutions and government.

Enough!

Commissioner Evelyn Gill,

District 1 Knox County Commission