Knox County Board of Education, District 4
August 6, 2026 · Knox County School District, Tennessee · School district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 5 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 494,148 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(724,876 ÷ 494,148) ÷ ln(724,876 ÷ 1,173) = 5.96, comparing unified school districts in TN (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
School Board Member is responsible for:
- Setting policy for the school district
- Approving the district budget and spending
- Hiring and reviewing the superintendent
- Deciding school boundaries, calendars, and curriculum choices within state rules
Affected Areas: Government Efficiency, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Public Education Quality, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Ashley Sartelle
Republican · declared
Ashley Sartelle is the Republican nominee for the Knox County Board of Education, District 4, in the August 2026 general election. She is finance director at the Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting. She has not previously held public office.
Katherine Bike
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Katherine Bike is the incumbent Democratic member of the Knox County Board of Education for District 4, seeking reelection in the August 2026 general election. She is employed at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and serves on a community health council.
Election sources
Source: knoxcounty.org
Source: knoxcounty.org