The Hamilton County Commission will decide on the new District 9 school board member in a vote next Wednesday, Aug. 11, following an initial vote Wednesday in which neither of the two nominated candidates received enough votes.
For appointment to the school board, a candidate needs to receive five votes. Commissioner Katherlyn Geter nominated Gary Kuehn, who received three votes, and commissioner Tim Boyd nominated James Walker, who received four.
Commissioners Geter, Warren Mackey and David Sharpe threw their support behind Kuehn, while Walker received votes from commissioners Boyd, Steve Highlander, Greg Martin and Sabrena Smedley. Chairman Chip Baker and commissioner Randy Fairbanks were absent from the meeting.
Eight candidates submitted letters of interest to the county commission for the position – the same eight who attended a candidate forum held at the Hamilton County Department of Education last week. Highlander, the former school board member for the district, thanked the candidates and District 9 residents who tuned in to the forum.
“We had eight outstanding candidates. This, in seven years on the school board and two months up here, this is probably the most difficult decision I have had to vote on, I mean seriously, in all that time. There were so many good people I think the world of,” Highlander said.
Kuehn is a longtime Hamilton County Schools teacher and administrator, and Walker is involved in coaching athletics and the Ooltewah Harrison Education Foundation.
Contact Anika Chaturvedi at achaturvedi@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592.