The Williamson County School Board has four new faces, after five out of six school board seats were up for grabs in the Aug. 6 election.
Donna Clements, current District 8 school board member, was the only incumbent who ran again.
This year, the consensus among all the new school board members is to find a new superintendent. But they also each bring their own goals to the table. Here’s what they shared.
District 2, Randy Allen
For his first few months, Allen said he will be learning.
“I think at first you have to get yourself settled and see how the meetings flow, and observe. You make points if you need to, but first try to get used to how all the processes work,” Allen said. “I've kind of witnessed everything, but it's a little bit different when you're in the chair.”
He shared his excitement about going over the history curriculum with the board. In the future, they get to work with the teachers and parents to decide what textbooks go through. His other high priority and excitement is finding a superintendent that will “fit into Williamson County schools, work well with the administration, the teachers, parents and all.”
District 4, Traci Anderson
Her first goal, aside from the superintendent search, is to use her passion for cooking and nutrition to help support healthier foods in schools. She also looks forward to finding appropriate committees to help serve with her colleagues.
She brings a background in technology, information technology, and technical support to the school board, along with several volunteer hours in school groups after having her twins.
“I believe in finding the right balance between schools and technology is increasingly important, and I’m passionate about helping students see the opportunities and skills that let them dream big in today’s world,” Anderson said.
District 6, Kimberly Calcote
Calcote was on the Williamson County Technology Committee, so she is excited to focus on finding the best path forward with how students are using technology in schools.
“I think that while we've made good progress, I think there's still a little ways to go in finding a way to pull back technology,” Calcote said. “To embrace some of those fundamental skills that have become replaced with technology and maybe not always giving our students the best leg up in the future.”
She said as far as curriculum, one of the ways schools can help students is by giving multiple career pathways, not just college, after graduation. She mentioned the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center as a great start towards this goal.
District 8, Donna Clements
Clements has talked to all the new members already.
“I remember right after I got elected in 2022, I think Rick Wimberly was the first person to reach out to me, so that was nice. I've reached out to them all, and I think it's going to be a great year,” Clements said.
What excites her less is talked about: their plans to rezone some areas that are “much denser,” such as Nolensville and Spring Hill.
“It’s really fun to meet the community, talk to the people, and hear the needs of the community,” she says.
For her, a good school curriculum is about asking what has been most effective and has the best proven results for students.
District 10, Jennifer Parker Konyn
Konyn is the only school board member who ran as a Democrat and won. She said she is excited to look at accountability that is in place around special education services, hiring processes and student safety.
Her background is in child development, and her leadership model involves paying close attention to data.
“When it comes to things like selecting curriculum, I am looking forward to being able to have that research-backed lens when evaluating those choices,” Konyn said. “And making sure that whatever we choose for our students isn't being chosen just by selected data points, but it is actually being chosen based on what we know helps kids learn.”
She looks forward to talking to all her constituents now that voting is over, and bringing the school board a more bipartisan perspective.