Consultants with the Annenberg Institute told the Hamilton County School Board on Thursday night that the rift between the board and the County Commission "needs to be healed."
They told the board that the ongoing dispute is detracting from improving the county schools.
The group carried out a study of the county schools central office. It was presented at a public meeting on Wednesday morning and at the school board on Thursday night.
Board member Joe Conner said there are "one or two County Commission members, who, no matter what we do, will oppose it."
He said, "If somebody continues to stand in the way, you just step around them. One person does not make a government."
Board member Debbie Colburn said the board should "offer the olive branch," but should "go forward. The work is too important, so we will not back down. We must become ever stronger in supporting this school system in the way it is going."
She said, "Some short-sighted and narrow-minded folks still exist around here."
Board member Charles Love, who was at his first board meeting since he was indicted in the Tennessee Waltz sting, said he was glad the study "showed that our central office is not overstaffed."