{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Knox School Board votes to keep Sprinkles on as superintendent &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"lVFfseOiNA\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/knox-school-board-votes-keep-sprinkles-superintendent\/\">Knox School Board votes to keep Sprinkles on as superintendent<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/knox-school-board-votes-keep-sprinkles-superintendent\/embed\/#?secret=lVFfseOiNA\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Knox School Board votes to keep Sprinkles on as superintendent&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"lVFfseOiNA\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sprinkles-mug.jpg","thumbnail_width":357,"thumbnail_height":284,"description":"It was absolute pandemonium in the Knox School Board Annex as the board voted 3-2 in favor of rescinding the March 15 and March 22 actions to cancel the superintendent\u2019s contract and renew Superintendent Kelly Sprinkles\u2019 contract for another four years. The audience waited anxiously as each of the board members were asked to cast their vote. When all the votes were cast, the crowd exploded with excitement. The board\u2019s two no votes &#8211; Merrill Smith and Peggy Gray &#8211; came as no surprise to anyone, as they continued to hold their ground. Gray and Smith, along with former board member Dexter Smith, shocked the community when the three voted in an early afternoon special called meeting on March 10 to cancel the superintendent\u2019s contract. Since the canceling of his contract, which would have ended June 30, Superintendent Sprinkles has received much outpouring of support from the schools and the community. In the days following the board\u2019s decision, more than 100 community members held a march protesting the decision, followed by a rally in support of their superintendent. Students skipped school and held roadside protests in front of the school board annex. With the resignation of Dexter Smith on April 22, the community has anxiously awaited the appointment of a new board member by Kentucky\u2019s Commissioner of Education. The wait was finally over when on June 9 Dr. Tom Ashburn was appointed to the board. Dr. Ashburn\u2019s official swearing in ceremony was held at the beginning of the evening\u2019s board meeting. \u201cI\u2019m going to look at what\u2019s put in front of me and make decisions that I feel will help the kids the teachers succeed,\u201d said Dr. Ashburn. \u201cThere are different personalities on this school board. You hope to try to work together with them. My focus will be that the decisions we make are the best for the students.\u201d Immediately following the vote to renew the superintendent\u2019s contract, the board voted in Gordon Hinkle as the new board chairman. I\u2019m glad that we\u2019re able to put this behind us now,\u201d said Chairman Hinkle. \u201cLet\u2019s continue to move the district forward. He\u2019s got a good four-year contract. Let\u2019s let him be the superintendent and not interfere with him as has happened in the past. That\u2019s the reason you hired him, so let him do his job. \u201cI\u2019m happy, and by the showing of the crowd here tonight, they\u2019re happy. That\u2019s the important thing.\u201d Kelly Sprinkles could barely hold back the tears as family, friends and students rushed to congratulate him on the decision. \u201cI feel relieved, but more than that I feel thankful,\u201d said Superintendent Sprinkles. The support of all of these people has kept me going. I\u2019m humbled, but I\u2019m excited about what\u2019s next for Knox County Schools. I see nothing but great things.\u201d Board Member Charles Merida was relieved to see issue was done and over with. \u201cI\u2019m more than happy because these kids were getting cheated,\u201d said Merida. \u201cIt\u2019s a shame that someone would come into this boardroom with political ideas and use them in here. Everyone\u2019s politics should be left outside the door. This is no place for it. This room is for our children.\u201d Beverly Hensley, a teacher at Jesse D. Lay Elementary, was thrilled at the outcome of the superintendent\u2019s contract vote. \u201cWe\u2019re really excited,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is exactly what the parents and students and teachers of Knox County have been wanting and have fought for. We felt really good about what we felt the outcome of tonight\u2019s decision would be, but of course, you never know until the votes have been tallied. Right now we\u2019re all ecstatic.\u201d"}