Rhonda Thurman
Rhonda Thurman, an outspoken conservative and often a controversial lightning rod on the County School Board for almost two decades, said she is hanging it up after this term.
Ms. Thurman, of District 1, said she will not run in the election next March in order to devote herself to her family, including her mother and her two grandchildren.
She said, "I've served my life sentence and now it's time to turn it over to somebody else."
Ms. Thurman said she is backing former Mr. Soddy Daisy High School Steve Slater, saying he is the only one who has approached her about running. She said they have met together three times, and he shares her conservative views and is "a good guy."
Mr. Slater has already picked up qualifying papers to run as a Republican.
None of the other incumbents for the upcoming School Board election have picked up papers, and several are expected to not run as well.
They include Marco Perez in District 2, Tiffanie Robinson in District 4, and Joe Wingate in District 7.
Ben Daugherty has picked up to run as a Republican in District 2 and Crystal Boehm has qualified to run as an Independent.
Jackie Anderson-Thomas has picked up to run as a Democrat in District 4.
Republicans Ed Garcia and Jodi Schaffer have qualified to run in District 7.
Faye Robinson, District 10, and Jill Black, District 11, are also up for re-election this cycle. They won two newly created School Board seats. Neither one has picked up papers to run again.
Rodney Spooner has picked up papers to run as a Republican in District 10.