At the start of the school year, parents across Texas were shocked to learn that new “parental consent” rules left some children without basic care. In Beaumont, a boy was sent home covered in vomit because the school said nurses couldn’t treat him. In Fort Worth, parents waited days to even receive the consent forms. Across the state, confusion and fear have left children caught in the middle.

This confusion stems from Senate Bill 12, a sweeping new law that forces schools to obtain written parental approval before providing most health services. While the Texas Education Agency recently issued clarifying guidance — saying Band-Aids, temperature checks, and first aid do not require paperwork — the damage is already being felt. Nurses have been second-guessed, students have gone without care, and families are left wondering if schools will protect their children in an emergency.

School nurses are professionals. They already know when to call a parent, when to provide simple first aid, and when to send a child to urgent care. They do not need politicians micromanaging their judgment or tying their hands in critical moments. Every wasted minute of hesitation can mean more suffering for a child.

Our students deserve safe, supportive schools where their health is not a political pawn. Parents deserve confidence that if their child is hurt or sick, a nurse will step in immediately. And nurses deserve the trust and respect to do the jobs they are trained to do without fear of discipline or confusion over paperwork.

We call on Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Legislature, and the Texas Education Agency to amend SB 12, protect routine student health care, and guarantee that school nurses can provide urgent, basic care without red tape. Lawmakers must ensure children are never again sent home sick or untreated because of politics.

Let’s stop micromanaging nurses and start trusting them to keep Texas kids safe.