Jerome Joint School District No. 261

STUDENTS 3281P

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Administrative Procedures

Gender Inclusion

Jerome School District believes in fostering an educational environment that is safe and free of discrimination for

all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. This policy is designed to

create a safe learning environment for all students and to ensure that every student has equal access to all school

programs and activities.

PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

1. A Transgender or Gender non-conforming student or their parent/guardian (s) should contact the building administrator to schedule a meeting to develop a Gender Support Plan to address the students’ particular circumstances or needs.

a. At the school level, the principal is the individual responsible for setting up the Care Team.

b. Upon receipt of a gender specific accommodation or gender plan request, the district employee shall inform the student of the employee’s obligation to notify the principal of the request.

i. Employee will notify the principal in a timely manner if accommodation is requested.

2. Establishment of a Care Team

a. This team shall consist of the following: Building Administrator, Building Counselor, a School Social Worker or Psychologist, a parent or guardian, and other staff to be identified by the Building Administrator.

3. Since individual circumstances, needs, programs, facility use, and resources may differ; administrators and school personnel are expected to consider the needs of the individual on a case- by-case basis.

a. A student’s expression of gender identity involves more than a casual declaration or expression,

but does not require medical documentation.

b. The Care Team shall respect the self-determination of each student and shall be guided by the goal of ensuring each student’s academic, social, and emotional success.

c. Requests for accommodation shall be evaluated by the Care Team to determine the reasonableness of any given situation.

4. In the Gender Support Plan, the student may request accommodations which include, but are not limited to, those described below:

a. Preferred Name

b. Preferred Gender

c. Preferred Pronoun

d. Confidentiality / Privacy Considerations

e. Facility Use

f. Safety Plan

5. The Gender Support Plan will remain in effect throughout continued Jerome School District enrollment

barring revision or nullification. The plan will be reevaluated in years when the student transitions to a

new building.

a. Plans will become null and inactive if a student transfers out of Jerome School District

b. In the case of a lapse of enrollment, the student will need to request a new Gender Support Plan.

6. Once the Care Team has reviewed a request for accommodation and made a determination on whether to grant or deny the request, that decision shall be communicated in writing to the person requesting the accommodation.

a. Once a Gender Support Plan is created, the Care Team will take steps to ensure that accommodations are implemented.

b. If an accommodation request is denied, the individual requesting the accommodation may appeal to the superintendent or designee.

GENDER SUPPORT - Student Confidentiality/Privacy

1. Disclosure of student personal information shall be in accordance with district policies pertaining to

privacy.

2. School personnel must take reasonable steps to protect students’ privacy related to their gender status, including their birth name or sex assigned at birth. Nonconsensual disclosure of personally identifiable information, such as a student’s birth name or sex assigned at birth, could be harmful to or invade the privacy of transgender students and may also violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) A school may maintain records with this information, but such records should be kept confidential.

3. Depending on the nature of the requested accommodation, the timing of the student's transition, and/or the student’s individual circumstances, complete confidentiality of the student's gender status or gender identity may not be possible.

4. To protect the student’s privacy, school staff should take care not to inadvertently disclose information

that is intended to be kept private or that is legally protected from disclosure.

Cross Reference: 3281 Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Policy History:

Adopted on: 07/19/2022

Revised on: 11/15/2022