Tennessee
School District Seeks Medical Information
The Shelby County School District recently sent out a letter to home schooling families, requiring that they submit their children’s health records to the district. Upon receiving this letter, several families contacted Home School Legal Defense Association to find out if they were required to send in the health records.
Dewitt Black, the attorney who assists HSLDA members in Tennessee, wrote a letter to the Shelby County district, explaining that Section 49-6-3050 of Tennessee Code Annotated governing home schools recognizes two categories of home schools: those associated with church-related schools and those that are not. Home schools not associated with a church-related school are required by subsection (b)(9) of Section 49-6-3050 to submit proof to the local superintendent that the student has been vaccinated and has received any other health services or examinations as may be required by law generally for children in Tennessee. However, subsection (a)(2) of Section 49-6-3050 states that home schools associated with a church-related school “. . . are exempt from the provisions of this section.” Therefore, parents whose home school is associated with a church-related school need not submit health records or any other related information to the local school district.
Since the member families who contacted HSLDA were associated with church-related schools, they were relieved to find out that they were not required to submit the health records.
Whether the school district was acting in ignorance or simply ignoring the clear provisions of the law is unknown. However, we encourage our member families to be vigilant in watching for times when the school district begins to ask for more than it is entitled to require.
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Tennessee
Confederate heroine Antoinette Polk was so close to capture by Union forces that they managed to pluck a feather from her hat, but she escaped to warn Confederate troops of Union plans.
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