COEUR d'ALENE - School officials in Coeur d'Alene are developing guidelines they hope will help administrators address potential issues concerning the needs of transgender students.

When the school board met in May, Superintendent Matt Handelman presented the idea of creating guidelines similar to those used in New York public schools. The need for guidelines became apparent during the district's recent review of its non-discrimination policies to determine whether those policies provide adequate protection based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

At Monday's board meeting, Handelman presented draft transgender student guidelines customized to meet the needs of Coeur d'Alene public schools.

"If we leave it to each individual administrator or principal, we're going to have people making decisions based on what they think or feel," Handelman said. "We don't want someone erring either way, either being too permissive or too restrictive."

The guidelines call for school personnel to refrain from disclosing a student's transgender status. They provide direction for dealing with official records listing a student's name and gender, provide guidance on how to address participation in sports and physical education, dress codes, and how to address transgender students when speaking to them.  More here. Maureen Dolan CdA Press

Thoughts?

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