Grants received to expand CTE healthcare studies
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Bledsoe County received a Rural Workforce Development grant for $200,000 to cover an RN salary, student supplies, uniform bundle and textbooks, explained Michelle Rains, Bledsoe County coordinated school health nurse. The goal of this grant is to enhance the CTE (Career and Technology Education) Health Science Program to include Pre-Nursing.
The second grant, $227,264.70 from the TN Rural Healthcare Center of Excellence will cover the cost of a full time nurse for a three-year period. Rains said the goal of this grant is to improve primary care education and access to healthcare. With only seven such grants awarded, Bledsoe County was the only school district in the state to receive this grant.
Rains said no contracts have been released yet on either grant and need to be approved by the local Board of Education. If approved, she said, they will begin in the Fall 2026 school year.
“I am incredibly grateful that Bledsoe County Schools was selected for both of these outstanding grants,” said Rains. “The first will expand opportunities for our upperclassmen by providing greater exposure to careers in the healthcare field. Students who successfully complete these courses could graduate high school just eight months away from becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) after acceptance into the TCAT program. This initiative has the potential to make a meaningful impact on our local workforce by preparing students to fill the many healthcare positions available right here in Bledsoe County.”
She explained, “The second grant was developed in response to the upcoming expiration of our Healthcare Resiliency Program (HRP) Grant. The HRP grant, totaling $1.6 million, has funded full-time school nurses since 2023 and expires after this school year. During that time, we have collected extensive data that clearly demonstrates the vital and impactful work these nurses provide for our students and community. Recognizing this need, I was committed to pursuing additional funding to help ease the burden on the general budget.”
Since the pandemic, Coordinated School Health has successfully secured more than $10.5 million in grants and in-kind funding for the Bledsoe County School System.
“I am excited about some upcoming grant opportunities to continue focusing on the physical and mental health needs of our students,” added Rains.
