Hamilton County School Board Members discuss essential workers in proposed policy change

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – Hamilton County School Board Members shared their concerned over two proposed policies in a meeting Monday night.

A proposed policy change would give the superintendent the discretion to allow an employee to continue working after being exposed a communicable disease.

According to the proposal, the person would have to meet certain criteria that includes being asymptomatic, have not tested positive, and is an essential worker who cannot perform essential functions remotely.

“Essential workers, is that referring to central office personnel? Is it referring to teachers,” School Board Member Steve Highlander said.

Some school districts in Tennessee have policies identifying teachers as essential workers.

Hamilton County does not.

School officials said that this is for non-classroom employees.

Some school board members want more clarity on the policy to define who it’s for.

“It’s a very vague policy as who does it apply to and I think that’s been some of the miscommunication that we’ve received about it, just making sure it’s real clear about who this will apply to,” School Board Member Tucker McClendon said.

School board members also took a lot of their time talking about another proposed policy.

This is a Code of Professional Conduct policy applying to all educators.

Board members discussed concerns over first amendment rights and if the policy steps too much into educators’ private lives.

“I feel if we move forward with this we’re going to create a firestorm with our teachers, and I just think it’s bad timing,” School Board Member Joe Smith said.

Board members did talk about delaying a decision on the Code of Professional Conduct policy.

As for the communicable disease-related policy, changes will be made in the wording and will be brought back to board members on Thursday.