Chattanooga, Local Education, News Brandon Paykamian Chattanooga, Local Education, News Brandon Paykamian

Hamilton County Schools updates school nursing policy following new parental consent law

The Hamilton County school board updated its policy to allow school nurses to provide emergency care to students without parental consent, in response to a new Tennessee law requiring parental permission for non-emergency treatment. The law was initially aimed at restricting gender-affirming care but has broader implications, such as needing consent for basic medical care. The board unanimously passed the update to ensure emergency situations are addressed promptly. Additionally, the board approved funding for a new staff position to manage legislative updates and advocate for school funding, despite some opposition.

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Lawmakers spread misinformation that a Wilson County school library is closed because of a new state law

A viral tweet from the Tennessee Holler claimed that a Wilson County high school library was closed due to a new state law banning books with inappropriate content, sparking reactions from lawmakers. However, Wilson County Schools' Public Information Officer Bart Barker clarified that the library was temporarily being used for Chromebook and textbook checkouts, a normal procedure at the start of the school year. Barker noted that the library would reopen once the process was complete, and the district has had a book challenge system in place for over two years to comply with state legislation.

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UT-Knoxville to lead $25M nuclear technology research consortium

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has been named the lead institution for a $25 million cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation to support research relating to “nuclear security and nonproliferation missions,” a recent announcement said.

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