School Board discusses students being bused to the polls

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Whether or not high school students should be bused to vote in future elections was at the center of a Hamilton County School Board debate.

Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson had announced last month that eligible students would be bused during school hours to go vote.

Since these were not overnight field trips, the School Board did not have to approve this action.

However, some concern has been raised on how these trips could influence the votes of students.

Jodi Schaffer, school board member for District 7, said, “Potentially having representatives from both parties on the tickets to make sure there is no induced influence on the bus… This would still allow the busing to voting, but it would protect our students.”

Jill Black school board member for District 11, said, “There were outside groups involved, and a lot of times when you do have outside groups involved they have an agenda one way or the other, and so the best way so we could provide a neutral is just have our teachers load up the students on our buses and take them to the polls.”

Dr. Robertson is asking the board to come up with the policy to clarify how trips to the polls should be conducted in the future.