From NewsChannel 9:
Hamilton County officials broke ground Wednesday on a major renovation project at Soddy Daisy Middle School that leaders say will expand capacity and modernize learning spaces for students.
The project is estimated at $34 million and will be funded through the Hamilton County Commission’s facilities bond.
Some members of the Hamilton County School Board aren’t happy about the district’s efforts to recruit teacher applicants from diverse backgrounds.
Board members Larry Grohn and Felice Hadden, both Republicans, practically melted down at a recent meeting.
What burned them up? The district’s policy that, according to the Chattanooga Times-Free Press:
Under the updated policy, educator diversity refers to a teacher workforce that “reflects a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, language, socioeconomic backgrounds and pathways into the profession.”
Grohn said the policy was “racist” and Hadden suggested the diversity was fine as long as the district didn’t spend too much effort or money on recruiting diverse candidates.
The whole issue was spurred as Hamilton County updated its diversity policy (to the policy noted above) in response to a state law requiring the dismantling of DEI efforts.
That dismantling included undoing a previous state law – also passed by Republicans – that required school districts to adopt a diversity policy.
NewsChannel9 reports on the Chattanooga-area private schools getting taxpayer dollars from Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher scheme:
New data shows that just over 600 Hamilton County students are enrolled in private schools this school year through Tennessee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program, also known as school vouchers.
Here’s the list of Hamilton County students using Education Savings Accounts (ESA) for the 2025–26 school year:
NewsChannel9 reports on chronic absenteeism at some Hamilton County Schools:
The 3 Hamilton County Schools High Schools with the highest chronic absentee rates are Howard Academy, Brainerd High School, and East Ridge High School, according to 2023-24 statistics from the state of Tennessee.
Meredith Benton, CEO of Communities In Schools In Tennessee, a school support organization partnering with Hamilton County Schools, identified common causes of chronic absenteeism as a lack of supplies, transportation, and access to healthcare.
NewsChannel9 in Chattanooga reports that a local mom is part of a group of Tennessee parents challenging Gov. Bill Lee’s private school discount coupon scheme.
Crystal Boehm, who has children in Hamilton County Schools, is one of several parents suing the state.
They argue the program drains money from public schools at a time when districts are already cutting staff, trimming transportation and reworking special education services.
Boehm says the impact is already felt locally. She points to recent cuts in Hamilton County, including the elimination of magnet school transportation and staff reductions across multiple campuses.
Chattanooga’s NewsChannel9 reports that the Hamilton County School Board is taking a look at options for providing mental health support to students:
Hamilton County Schools is bringing school-based mental health services back to the board agenda after ending its previous agreement with Centerstone.
On Thursday, the Hamilton County Department of Education board will review memorandums of understanding with five companies that a selection committee picked to provide a choice of services for students’ parents.
Centerstone is among the companies being considered, and some officials say they want more options for students.
District officials say these agreements could expand the options for providing therapy, counseling, and other mental health support to students directly on school campuses.