Jenny Hill officially launched her campaign for the Hamilton County Board of Education District 6 seat on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. / Special to the Times Free Press, contributed by Jenny Hill's campaignJenny Hill officially has announced her candidacy for the District 6 seat on the Hamilton County Board of Education.
Hill is running for the seat being vacated by Joe Galloway at the end of his term. Earlier this year, Galloway announced he did not intend to run for re-election.
The nonpartisan school board is elected during the general election on Aug. 2.
"I want equity across our schools," Hill said at her campaign launch at Normal Park Museum Magnet's Lower School campus Monday. "Every zoned school should be a school parents can trust to prepare their children for the future."
Hill, a graduate of the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, co-owns Papercut Interactive, a local web development company, with her husband, Jason Hill.
The couple's two children - Annabelle, 13, and Elliott, 10 - also attend CSAS.
"I am fortunate that my two children are able to attend a wonderful public school - a magnet school - in Hamilton County, but the opportunity for a great education shouldn't depend on chance, a lottery, or where a child happens to live," Hill said.
Hill said her top priorities included ensuring equity across all Hamilton County schools, supporting teachers, and supporting students with programming and resources to meet their diverse needs.
"Hamilton County is overdue for a public education renaissance," she said.
Hill said she looks forward to working with Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson and with community stakeholders to bring about that needed change.
Jenny Hill announces the launch of her campaign for the District 6 seat of the Hamilton County Board of Education on the steps of Normal Park Museum Magnet's Lower School on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. / Photo by Meghan Mangrum"We have strong leadership in Superintendent Johnson, and with growing community support, we're beginning to see progress in improving educational outcomes in our schools. There is no doubt that great things are happening in our schools," Hill said. "However, I've also heard concerns about the lack of investment, the strain on teachers, and the need for better supports for our most vulnerable students. I am committed to helping sustain the progress and ensure that it benefits every school and every student in our community."
Hill attributes her desire to run for school board partly to being inspired by the community support and work of local nonprofits such as Chattanooga 2.0, UnifiEd and the county working group that outlined strategic recommendations for Hamilton County schools last year.
She also was inspired by her own service work with Metropolitan Ministries, where she serves on the board. Hill is also a member and trustee of Hixson United Methodist Church, a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga and serves on the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce North Chattanooga Council.
Papercut was a 2018 finalist for the Chattanooga Chamber Small Business award.
The filing deadline for the Aug. 2 county general election is April 5.