Knoxville’s Community Schools Are Rebuilding Trust and Delivering Results

For years, Knoxville’s schools faced a challenge shared by many cities. There were plenty of people willing to help, but not always a straightforward way to match those efforts with what families actually needed. Community Schools changed that.

At the center of this shift is trust. Adam Fritts, who helped develop the strategy, remembers the limits of good intentions. “People were giving, but it was hit and miss,” he said. “The same families would get support while others were overlooked. Sometimes, help didn’t even match the need.”

Community Schools brought a new kind of coordination—one that begins with listening. Surveys, caregiver feedback, and neighborhood-level asset mapping made it possible to understand not only where the gaps were, but what people valued. “When people see a program appear that responds to something they wrote in a survey, it changes how they feel,” said Fritts. “They feel heard. And that’s where engagement starts.”

We're not just offering services. We're being strategic. That's what excites me."

Jennifer Ayers has seen how this approach improves decision-making. At each school, a site-based steering committee brings together students, caregivers, and staff to guide strategy. “We’re not just offering services,” she said. “We’re being strategic. That’s what excites me.”

That intentional focus has already shaped real outcomes. When a nonprofit offered a new mentoring initiative, the team didn’t hesitate. Their existing data already  showed precisely which schools had identified mentoring as a priority and which had no services in place. “We could send them straight where they were needed most,” Fritts said. “No duplication, no missed opportunity.”

The model also gives students a voice. In one school, children were asked to describe the kind of playground equipment they wanted. They didn’t ask for a bigger slide. They asked for a water fountain nearby. “It was a simple request,” said Fritts. “But no one would have known if we hadn’t asked.”

For Ayers, the model’s strength lies in its clarity. “We’re aligning what’s donated with what’s needed,” she said. “It’s not just efficient. It’s respectful.”

Knoxville’s Community Schools aren’t a set of programs layered onto schools. They’re a community-centered framework for action, where change is shaped by the people living it. And because of that, the impact is lasting.