The Tennessee General Assembly has passed new legislation (Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1016), requiring schools to provide annual instruction on firearm safety beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. This legislation was developed in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Education, the Department of Safety, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. To meet this requirement, our district has partnered with the Washington County Sheriff's Office to identify age-appropriate and grade-appropriate resources that align with the state’s required instructional outcomes.
What Students Will Learn
Instruction will be age-appropriate, grade-appropriate, and consistent across schools. Instruction will focus on:
Safe storage of firearms.
School safety relating to firearms.
How to avoid injury if a firearm is found.
The importance of never touching a firearm if discovered.
The need to immediately notify an adult about the location of a firearm.
Important Assurances:
Instruction will remain viewpoint-neutral and will not address political topics such as gun rights, gun violence, or the Second Amendment.
There will be no use of live firearms, live ammunition, or live fire in any part of the instruction.
The Departments of Education and Safety, in consultation with the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, will develop or approve the instructional program. Schools will then determine the best way to deliver this instruction (e.g., classroom lesson, video, or online resources).
WCDE Implementation for 2025–2026:
Each grade level will view an approved firearm safety video that is approximately 3 to 7 minutes in length, tailored to the appropriate grade level. These videos are linked below, so that families may preview them and use them as a starting point for conversations at home if desired.
Students will watch the video in their classrooms during the month of November 2025. For your reference, we have attached the instructional outcomes from these videos.
As a district, we will ensure this instruction is provided in a safe, consistent, and developmentally appropriate manner. We appreciate your partnership as we work to meet this new requirement and ensure that all students are better equipped to make safe choices should they ever encounter a firearm.