Tennessee county closes schools, cites Obamacare as reason

Update: Parents sue to keep Tennessee school system from closing over Obamacare

TimesFreePress: Students in a small, financially struggling school district in northern Tennessee will return to classes next week after fall break is over, the school director said.

The move comes after two parents filed a lawsuit over the school board’s decision last week to close schools until a funding dispute with county officials could be resolved.

The suit was filed in Chancery Court by Tracy Ford and Christopher Kane, but has since been moved to federal court due to questions about whether the 1,150 students in the district would be denied their constitutional right to equal protection under the law since other school districts would continue to educate children.

Clay County Director of Schools Jerry Strong says the funding dispute stems from partially unfunded government mandates and the county’s inability to generate more tax revenue.

The county commission, which funds the schools, declined the board’s repeated requests for a funding increase. The board responded by not approving a budget, and the state stopped providing Basic Education Program funding.  more here