STAFFORD — Once a main priority for the Stafford County School Board, setting a new transgender bathroom policy will have to wait.
The issue in recent weeks has gotten pushed aside as the School Board instead focuses on making and approving its 2020 budget and tries to make good on a promise to redistrict and every elementary school in the county.
Talk of a setting a division-wide transgender policy came after a transgender female at a county middle school in October wasn’t allowed to go into either the boys or girls gym lockerrooms during an active shooter safety drill, where students are to go during the drills.
The incident caused an uproar and led to Stafford schools Superintendent Scott Kizner drafting a new policy that outlines the rights of transgender students.
The proposed policy allows transgender students to use the bathroom of their gender identity as long as they have a confirmation letter from a parent, school staff member, or health care provider.
Although the School Board originally estimated that they would vote on the proposed policy by the end of February, the transgender policy hasn’t been an agenda item since December. At a School Board meeting on Dec. 11, residents expressed both support and opposition to the draft during the citizen comment period.
Since then, School Board members have been reviewing the proposal.
“At this point, all I will say is that I’ve been told [school administration] were trying to complete redistricting before putting it back on the agenda,” said Griffis-Widewater District School Board member Jamie Decatur. “Whether or not that’s the case is questionable, but I’ll be personally seeing to it that the policy with suggested revisions made by the Equity, Diversity, and Opportunity Committee (EDOC) and Dr. Kizner are brought to the Board for information immediately following the redistricting conversation.”
Former Stafford schools Superintendent Dr. Bruce Benson formed EDOC in February of 2018. The committee is a community of students, parents, teachers, and administrators that was formed to address concerns over school safety and diversity.
Garrisonville District School Board member is also waiting on a final proposal.
“Once I see the revisions, I will decide what is in the best interest of all students,” Pamela Yeung said.
Currently, the Board is focusing on elementary school redistricting and the budget for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year.
