Greg MartinJoe Smith is District 3’s new representative on the Hamilton County school board. A longtime YMCA official, Smith will serve out the two remaining years of Greg Martin’s term. Martin was elected to the County Commission earlier this month, a position Smith ran against him for.
Commissioners Tim Boyd, Randy Fairbanks, Warren Mackey, Sabrena Smedley and Chester Bankston voted for Smith, against Martin’s strong recommendation that the commission name Michael Kirk as his replacement on the school board.
“I’m honored and I’ll hit the ground running,” Smith told the commission before he was sworn into the position last Wednesday morning.
Commissioners Joe Graham and Jim Fields sided with Martin in voting for Kirk, director of school operations at Boyd-Buchanan. Commissioner Greg Beck abstained from the vote, saying the fatal bus crash last week that claimed the lives of six Woodmore Elementary students prevented him from having time to select a candidate, as Woodmore rests in his district.
Smith made it clear in a public forum in Hixson last Monday that if appointed, he would represent more than District 3 – which includes Hixson, Lakesite, Middle Valley and Big Ridge – and advocate for students across the district. During his career at the YMCA, where he now serves as regional director, Smith has worked with troubled kids and their families.
He and his wife have raised 19 foster kids, and he said he thinks he has been involved with nearly every school in the district over the years.
Smith also said at the forum that he doesn’t think the school district needs increased funding from the county, and he wants the board to take a hard look at the current budget.
During his four years on the board, Martin did not support the district asking the county for increased funding, and was adamant that the board conduct a national search to find its next leader. He voiced support of hiring someone with experience in business as the next superintendent, and Smith said he also wants a superintendent with a background in management.
The school board is facing several important decisions in coming months, including the selection of a superintendent and an examination of the district’s budget, and Smith’s appointment was an opportunity for the commission to place someone who aligns with its vision on the nine-member board.
“District 3 has very qualified candidates, and your community should be very proud,” Smedley said before the vote.
James Watson, a teacher who previously ran against Martin for the school board seat in 2014, also applied for the post, as did longtime sports broadcaster Randy Smith, caregiver and former teacher Ann Morgan, and financial management business owner Bradley D. Church.