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← Back to Fayette County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-05-05

Contest for School Board District 2

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primary - Partisan - School Board District 2

About this office

Members of the Fayette County Schools Board of Education govern the Fayette County public school district. Fayette has three school board districts. Board members hire and evaluate the superintendent, adopt district policies, approve the school budget, set district goals, and oversee compliance with federal and state education law. Members are required to complete seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.

Compensation: stipend set by the county commission; state law requires a minimum of $4/day under T.C.A. ยง 49-2-202.

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Policy judgment on district-wide matters โ€” curriculum direction, personnel policy, facilities, and student services โ€” within Tennessee education law.
  • Budget literacy for the Fayette County Schools operating and capital budgets.
  • Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent.
  • Constituent relations with parents, teachers, and community members across the district.
  • Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the TSBA Board Academy.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

Democratic Primary 1 candidate
Charles B. Watkins

Charles B. Watkins
๐Ÿ‘ ๐Ÿ‘Ž ๐Ÿคก ๐Ÿ˜ก ๐Ÿคท
Publicly engaged with Fayette County school-board governance โ€” at the August 14, 2025 school-board meeting he called on the board to host a public information session on the federal desegregation consent order and its pros and cons. Has filed a 2026 Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest as a School Board candidate and a separate filing as State Executive Committee (a Democratic Party role). Does not currently appear on the FCPS board roster โ€” appears to be a first-time candidate running as a community advocate. Bio does not indicate career background, education-sector experience, or formal education.
Republican Primary 1 candidate
Terry L. Leggett

Terry L. Leggett
๐Ÿ‘ ๐Ÿ‘Ž ๐Ÿคก ๐Ÿ˜ก ๐Ÿคท
Current Fayette County Commissioner โ€” not yet on the school board โ€” listed in the CTAS elected-officials directory with address in Eads, Tennessee, and contact phone (901) 465-7204. Has filed 2024, 2025 (original + amended), and 2026 Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest forms as County Commission, plus a separate 2026 School Board filing, consistent with a transition from county commission to a school-board bid. Bio does not indicate education-sector career, prior school-board service, or formal education. Experience with the county's legislative/budget process from the commission side is documented; school-specific budget experience is not.