Meet the new Knox County Schools principals before the first day

Knox County Schools has named 12 new principals for 2026-27 school year to oversee elementary, middle and high schools across the district. All of the new leaders are internal hires, currently serving in another capacity or at a different school. Superintendent Jon Rysewyk's goals for the upcoming y

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Knox County Schools has named 12 new principals for 2026-27 school year to oversee elementary, middle and high schools across the district.

All of the new leaders are internal hires, currently serving in another capacity or at a different school.

Superintendent Jon Rysewyk's goals for the upcoming year are to focus on improving special education and continued achievement growth.

Get to know the 12 principals who will guide students of all ages on their paths to earning a diploma.

Amherst Elementary School

Emily Jellicorse will be Amherst Elementary School's principal. Jellicorse joined Knox County Schools in 2008 as a teacher at Carter Elementary School. Since then, she's taught at Holston Middle and served as an instructional coach at Gresham Middle. Jellicorse stepped

into an administrative role in 2017 as assistant principal of Gibbs Elementary. She's since served as principal of both Chilhowee Intermediate and Carter Elementary, as well as assistant principal of New Hopewell Elementary and Copper Ridge Elementary.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman College, a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and post-master's education degree from Lincoln Memorial University.

School enrollment: 643

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 19%
Hispanic: 17%
White: 63%
Economically disadvantaged: 16%
Students with disabilities: 21%

School board representative: Betsy Henderson

Knox County Schools region: 2

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Bearden Middle School

Susan Hutton will be Bearden Middle School's new principal in July. Hutton started her career as an elementary and middle school Advancement Via Individual Determination tutor in Virginia before transitioning to an assistant principal in 2006 at a STEM magnet school. She's led two schools in Virginia and North Carolina as principal, and came to Knox County Schools in 2022 to lead Brickey-McCloud Elementary School.

She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico, a master's degree from Christopher Newport University and a doctorate in educational policy from the College of William & Mary.

School enrollment: 1,229

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 21%
Hispanic: 20%
White: 56%
Economically disadvantaged: 21%
Students with disabilities: 15%

School board representative: Patricia Fontenot-Ridley

Knox County Schools region: 1

Blue Grass Elementary School

Candace Greer has been selected as Blue Grass Elementary's new principal. She has been with KCS since 2004, starting as a teacher at Fulton High School. Since then, Greer has taught at West High School and Vine Middle Magnet School. She's also served as assistant principal at Gresham Middle, Farragut High and Bearden High schools. Greer has been the Gibbs Middle School principal since 2021.

Greer holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature, a master’s degree in education and a post-master's education degree, all from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She also holds a doctorate in education leadership from the University of the Cumberlands.

School enrollment: 621

Student demographics:

Black or African American: Less than 5%
Hispanic: Less than 5%
White: 85%
Economically disadvantaged: 7%
Students with disabilities: 16%

School board representative: Katherine Bike

Knox County Schools region: 1

Brickey-McCloud Elementary School

Kristen Jackson has been named the new principal of Brickey-McCloud Elementary School. Jackson has been with KCS since 2008, when she started as a substitute teacher. She worked as a classroom teacher at Christenberry Elementary School for five years. Jackson was named assistant principal of West Hills Elementary in 2017, and has been the school's principal since 2022.

Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman University, master’s and post-master's education degrees from Lincoln Memorial University, as well as a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of the Cumberlands.

School enrollment: 801

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 7%
Hispanic: 8%
White: 83%
Economically disadvantaged: 14%
Students with disabilities: 22%

School board representative: Stephen Triplett

Knox County Schools region: 4

New Farragut elementary school

Keith Cottrell is going to be the new Farragut elementary school's principal when it opens in the fall of 2027. Cottrell has been in KCS since 1998, when he started teaching at Cedar Bluff Intermediate School. He later moved to A.L. Lotts, Blue Grass and Sterchi elementary schools. He's been assistant principal at Cedar Bluff Elementary School and Farragut Primary, then served as principal at Cedar Bluff Elementary and Northshore Elementary. He's currently principal of Fountain City Elementary.

Cottrell holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UT, a master’s degree in teaching from Carson-Newman University, a post-master's education degree from LMU and a doctorate degree in educational leadership and policy from UT.

The school is in the process of being built at the intersection of Boring Road and Kingston Pike, and is expected to hold between 1,200 and 1,400 students to address overcrowding in existing Farragut schools. The building will be home to kindergarten through fifth grade starting with the 2027-28 school year.

School board representative: Lauren Morgan

Knox County Schools region: 1

Fountain City Elementary School

Kristi Phillips will be the new Fountain City Elementary principal following Cottrell's departure. She joined KCS in 2003 as a Northwest Middle School teacher. Phillips transitioned to administration in 2010 as assistant principal at Bearden Middle School. She later served as assistant principal at L&N STEM Academy and Ridgedale Alternative School, where she was named principal in 2019. Phillips has been serving as a special education supervisor since 2022.

She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership, both from Carson-Newman University.

School enrollment: 377

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 13%
Hispanic: 21%
White: 64%
Economically disadvantaged: 23%
Students with disabilities: 19%

School board representative: Anne Templeton

Knox County Schools region: 4

Gibbs Middle School

Casey Cutter has been named the new Gibbs Middle School principal. He's been with KCS since 2010, first as a teacher at Adrian Burnett and Ball Camp elementary schools. He was placed at Copper Ridge Elementary as an assistant principal in 2012, and has also been an assistant principal at Norwood Elementary. Cutter has since served as principal of Mount Olive Elementary, a school in Maryville and is currently principal at Blue Grass Elementary.

Cutter holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Colorado, a master’s degree in elementary education from Regis University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from UT.

School enrollment: 609

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 5%
Hispanic: Less than 5%
White: 91%
Economically disadvantaged: 14%
Students with disabilities: 18%

School board representative: Travis Wright

Knox County Schools region: 4

Green Magnet Academy

Jordan Culp will be Green Magnet Academy's new principal. He's been with KCS since 2016, starting as a counselor at Carter High School then Halls High School. He transitioned to assistant administrator in 2020 at South-Doyle High, and is currently assistant principal at Austin-East Magnet High.

Culp holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from UT, a master’s degree in education and a post-master's education degree, both from LMU.

School enrollment: 359

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 75%
Hispanic: 10%
White: 15%
Economically disadvantaged: 66%
Students with disabilities: 23%

School board representative: The Rev. John Butler

Knox County Schools region: 5

Halls High School

Michael Toth has been named the new Halls High principal. Toth, who has been principal of Bearden Middle since 2017, began in KCS in 2003 as a Green Magnet Academy teacher. He was named assistant principal in 2010 at Karns High, then later at Halls High/North Knox Vocational Technology Center.

Toth holds a bachelor's degree in voice performance from Michigan State University, a master's degree in elementary education from UT and a post-master's education degree from LMU.

School enrollment: 1,236

Student demographics:

Black or African American: Less than 5%
Hispanic: 12%
White: 83%
Economically disadvantaged: 11%
Students with disabilities: 14%

School board representative: Stephen Triplett

Knox County Schools region: 4

West Haven Elementary School

Jessica Holman has been appointed the new West Haven Elementary principal. She joined KCS as a Dogwood Elementary teacher in 2003. Holman was named assistant principal at Karns Elementary in 2011, and later served in the same role at Christenberry Elementary. She's served as Inskip Elementary's principal as well. Holman is currently serving as Green Magnet Academy's principal, a role she's held since 2017.

Holman holds a bachelor’s degree in human ecology, a master’s degree in early childhood education and a post-master's degree, all from UT.

School enrollment: 311

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 35%
Hispanic: 31%
White: 32%
Economically disadvantaged: 30%
Students with disabilities: 15%

School board representative: Anne Templeton

Knox County Schools region: 2

West High School

Spencer Long is now principal of West High. He joined KCS as a science teacher at Halls High in 2011. He was named athletic director and assistant principal of Karns High School in 2017. Long was assistant principal at Bearden High, then he transitioned to Halls High principal in 2019.

Long holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Carson-Newman University, as well as a post-master's degree from UT.

School enrollment: 1,474

Student demographics:

Black or African American: 24%
Hispanic: 16%
White: 57%
Economically disadvantaged: 17%
Students with disabilities: 11%

School board representative: Katherine Bike

Knox County Schools region: 1

West Hills Elementary School

Karri Hobby has been named the new West Hills Elementary principal. She joined KCS in 2001 as a Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy teacher. She's also taught at Northwest Middle. Hobby spent several years outside of KCS as an assistant principal and later principal of schools in Anderson County, Cumberland County and Oak Ridge. She has been serving as a strategic improvement specialist in KCS.

Hobby received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Wesleyan College and a master's degree in instructional leadership from LMU.

School enrollment: 658

Student demographics: