{"county":"knox","description":null,"district":"7","districtgroup":"county_school_board","id":567,"key":"county_school_board_district_7","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Steve Triplett","next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":null,"partisan":0,"party":null,"qualities":"- Policy judgment on a large urban district \u2014 Memphis-Shelby County Schools serves roughly 110,000 students across more than 200 schools, with a budget over a billion dollars.\n- Budget literacy for both operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the County Commission (which appropriates) and the Tennessee Department of Education.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 historically the highest-stakes recurring decision the board makes.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members across an economically and racially diverse district.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":1,"description":null,"electiondate":"2022-08-04","name":"Steve Triplett","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nStephen \"Steve\" Triplett is the Republican incumbent for Knox County Board of Education District 7, seeking re-election in the August 6, 2026 general election against Democrat Amy Fenner [1][3]. His stated priorities are academic achievement, parental partnership and accountability; he cites improvements in Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies proficiency over the past four years and notes the district invested over $40 million in teacher compensation with fewer than ten teaching vacancies at the start of the 2025-2026 school year [3]. His platform emphasizes \"strong families, moral clarity, and supportive communities\" and faith [3]. Triplett did not participate in the Knox News voter's-guide interview or complete the online questionnaire [1].\n\n## Background and education\nTriplett, 47, assumed office on the board September 1, 2022 [2].\n\n## Career\nHe is the general manager of Chick-fil-A Fountain City and has also worked as an educator, principal and minister [4][2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nTriplett resigned as principal of Heritage Christian School in Ohio in the fall of 2013 over financial improprieties [4]. On his campaign Facebook page he acknowledged: \"While serving as principal, I chose to misuse funds for personal benefit and when confronted I repaid the school for any and all expenditures and resigned.\" [4] According to WBIR, the school's financial office discovered the issue and Triplett was \"essentially going to be fired,\" but the pastor at the time allowed him to resign; he restored all of the funds and was never charged [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Knox County Board of Education District 7 voter's guide (Knox News)](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/knox-county-board-education-district-063228066.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Steve Triplett (Ballotpedia)](https://ballotpedia.org/Steve_Triplett) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Meet KC School Board candidates: Districts 1, 4, and 7 (Knox TN Today)](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/meet-kc-school-board-candidates-districts-1-4-and-7/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Knox Co. School Board candidate misused funds at his job as principal of a Christian school (WBIR)](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knox-county-schools-candidate-misused-funds-as-a-principal/51-269dce6e-93df-4e96-a929-6876cbd8de65) - accessed 2026-07-23\n\n## Further candidate material (not accessible for this profile)\n- [Knox Co. School Board candidate misused funds as a principal - WBIR](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knox-county-schools-candidate-misused-funds-as-a-principal/51-269dce6e-93df-4e96-a929-6876cbd8de65) (page did not load in full during research; the facts above are drawn from its reporting and Triplett's own public statement, which were verifiable in summary)","firstname":"Steve","lastname":"Triplett","token":"OpL41OxqRv"},"term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01"}],"title":"Knox County Schools Board District 7","type":"legislative","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-04-26 19:41:28"}