NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, is thrilled with the recently released results of the Beyond Ordinary Learning Opportunities (BOLO) pilot program.
Bulso in 2024 passed the BOLO Act to establish a one-year pilot program placing therapy dogs in five public schools across Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Education recently released a report highlighting the program’s incredible impact on students and staff in the Volunteer State.
“The successful BOLO pilot program improved academic engagement, reduced chronic absenteeism and provided enhanced opportunities for emotional support,” said Bulso. “School therapy dogs have proven to be vital resources that many students and faculty members rely on. I look forward to working next session to make the BOLO program a reality for more districts across Tennessee.”
The pilot program took place during the 2024-25 school year for students in each of Tennessee’s Grand Divisions. Districts received $10,000 grants to implement the program, which included the following therapy dogs:
- Jingle at Bristol Tennessee High School in Sullivan County
- Patina and Tula at Central Elementary School in Carter County
- Barkley and Oakley at North Stewart Elementary School in Stewart County
- Saylor at Sequatchie Middle School in Sequatchie County
- Simone at University Middle School in Shelby County
Therapy dogs in these schools provided emotional support to students, reduced classroom stress and anxiety, improved academic engagement and decreased discipline referrals, according to the DOE.
Central Elementary School’s absenteeism rate dropped from 13.7% in the 2023-24 school year to 6.8% in the 2024-25 school year, the report notes. University Middle School experienced a reduction in stress-related early dismissals and low-level behavioral incidents during the pilot program. One hundred percent of faculty and staff at Bristol Tennessee High School and North Stewart Elementary School agreed that the BOLO program had a “positive impact” on students.
Each participating school plans to continue the program.
Additional examples of the pilot program’s success can be found in the DOE report here.
State Rep. Gino Bulso represents District 61 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, which includes part of Williamson County.