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Board reviews dozens of policy changes, adopts child-trafficking education and textbook adoptions for recommendation
Summary
Staff presented numerous policy updates required by state law, affirmed child-trafficking (Aaron's Law) instruction with opt-out for parents, and recommended adoption (but not purchase) of certain instructional materials; final votes scheduled for Thursday.
The Rutherford County Board of Education on Wednesday reviewed a broad series of policy updates and instructional items required by recent state-law changes and recommended some adoptions for classroom and district compliance.
Speaker 3 (the director of schools) told the board that, pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-1304, the district will continue required child-trafficking prevention instruction (Aaron's Law) using its current curriculum: Safer and Smarter Kids for K-5, Safer and Smarter for middle school, and Safer and Smarter Teens for high school. "As always, we do have an opt out option," Speaker 3 said, noting parent/guardian opt-outs will be available through the district's Synergy enrollment system and that the district plans parent nights and online sessions for awareness.
The administration also asked the board to adopt (but not purchase) physical education and health instructional materials that the state's committee and the Tennessee State Board of Education recommended. Additionally, staff outlined many policy changes the administration seeks on first and final reading before the 2026-27 school year, including updates on electronic participation, agenda posting, attendance-zone proof of residency, charter school conflict-of-interest rules, grading/GPA calculation changes, leave and sick-day adjustments, Title IX coordinator role separation, and multiple instructional and personnel policy revisions to align with state law.
Speaker 3 said the board's recommended approach is to suspend the usual two-reading requirement for certain time-sensitive policies so they can take effect before the school year begins; a formal board vote on those policy items is scheduled for Thursday.
