NEWTON COUNTY —  At the Newton County Schools Board of Education meeting on Aug. 19, the most prominent discussion came from parents advocating for stronger protections and accommodations for children living with Type 1 diabetes.

During the public participation segment, several parents delivered emotional testimonies describing the risks their children face each day without proper monitoring in place.

Calls for remote monitoring

Parents urged the district to allow school nurses to use the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) “Follow” app, which would let them track students’ blood sugar levels in real time. Currently, only parents have access to these alerts, leaving gaps in school safety.

One mother recalled receiving an alert that her daughter’s glucose levels had plummeted while at school.

“I called her phone twice… no answer,” she said. “I had to call the school and tell the interim nurse how low she was. My heart was in my stomach, this isn’t the first time this has happened and unfortunately it won’t be the last.” 

She added that her daughter had previously been told by school staff she was “too much” when requiring an insulin injection during a pump failure.

“The lack of education for Type 1 diabetes is unacceptable,” she said.  

Another parent stressed that without school monitoring, families are left carrying the burden throughout the day, while students’ learning suffers.

“Eighteen months ago I provided Newton County Schools with a medical order from [her daughter’s] doctor, indicating the medical necessity to receive audible CMG alerts on a school device,” the second parent said. “This keeps her in class learning and prevents medical emergencies that can lead to coma, brain damage and even death.” 

“...My daughter is still being denied this reasonable accommodation.” 

She noted that more than 183 school districts nationwide already have policies permitting such monitoring.

This woman’s daughter, Charlotte, addressed the board directly, describing the anxiety and classroom disruptions caused by her condition. She emphasized that while she wants to focus on school, managing diabetes without staff support puts her health at risk every day.

Parents argued that denying nurses access to glucose monitoring apps may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 protections, which require schools to provide equal educational access. 

Board response 

While the board does not respond directly during public comment, members later acknowledged the urgency of the issue.

District 1 Board Member Trey Bailey said he believed the school system should act quickly to address this need.

“Having heard these parents tonight, I just don’t see why there’s not some way that we can create policy that allows for these children to be taken care of,” he said, noting that many affected students are as young as five to seven years old. “...This is a situation where this is life and death.” 

Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley III acknowledged that the district currently lacks a policy addressing the issue but agreed that the request was both urgent and appropriate for policy development.

Several other board members echoed support for working toward a solution to ensure student safety.