The Knox County (Tenn.) school board members has voted to promote longtime Assistant Superintendent Bob Thomas to the top job in the district.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Bob Thomas, who has been an assistant superintendent in Knox County since 1990, will become superintendent of the 60,000-student system.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the confidence the board has placed in me," Thomas said in a news release. "I look forward to continuing my commitment to serve Knox County Schools and working to provide the best education we can to all students."
Thomas began his education career as a teacher at Bearden Junior High School in Knox County and Bearden High School in 1973 before becoming principal of Rule High School in the early 1980s. He had been a finalist for the Knox County superintendent's job in 2008.
Thomas' selection came after the board opted to conduct the superintendent search on its own. A three-member search panel advertised the job, reviewed two dozen applications, culled the candidate pool and recommended two finalists to the full board.
The other finalist was Dale Lynch, director of schools in the Hamblen County (Tenn.) district.
