Updated 8:27 p.m. 6/22/17:

A working group tasked with helping develop a “gender diverse” policy for the Clark County School District will be formed.

The School Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to authorize Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky to create such a group. Trustee Carolyn Edwards had proposed the idea, calling it a needed policy to ensure that students whose gender identity or expression differs from what they were assigned at birth attend a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Three people supported the idea during public comment. Two people opposed it. One person argued the trustees should form the policy because they can be held accountable. The vice president of Power 2 Parent also spoke in opposition because the organization doesn’t want policy changes discussed during summer months when parents are less likely to participate.

Skorkowsky clarified that the working group will only issue recommendations for a policy. Trustees will review the proposed policy and vote on it twice before anything is enacted, he said.

The working group, whose members have not been selected, will host community meetings for input during the development process, which will occur throughout the summer and into the fall.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Clark County School District’s policy addressing bullying and cyberbullying aims to create a “safe and respectful learning environment” for all students.

But School Trustee Carolyn Edwards wants to see the district go a step further when it comes to protecting students whose gender identity or expression differs from what they were assigned at birth.

Her idea: Authorize the superintendent to create a working group that can solicit public input and develop a "gender diverse" district policy. The Board of Trustees will publicly discuss and possibly vote on the proposal during its meeting Thursday evening.

“If we’re more proactive about embracing and accepting students for who they are and accommodating them for what they need and making them feel safe, I think we’ll see more come out,” Edwards said.

Since August 2016, the school district’s equity and diversity education department has assisted 120 students in grades kindergarten through 12th-grade with issues related to their gender identity, spokeswoman Melinda Malone said. Each situation is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Edwards said feedback from families and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community has convinced her that the district needs a formal policy, which would serve as a “guiding document” to help school officials work with families of transgender or gender-nonconforming students to meet their needs.

While the district’s policy regarding bullying and cyberbullying mentions gender identity and expression, Edwards said it’s not specific enough and principals aren’t necessarily on the same page when addressing these situations at various schools throughout the county.

The proposed policy, however, shouldn’t be viewed as something solely related to bathroom use, she said.

“It’s much bigger than that,” Edwards said. “How do you ensure that staff knows that this student wants to be called she now or he?”

If trustees give Edwards’ idea the green light, the superintendent would form a working group, charged with studying the issue, holding community meetings and, ultimately, developing a policy subject to board approval. The process could be completed by late fall, Edwards said.

The makeup of the working group remains unclear, but officials from the Human Rights Campaign — a national LGBTQ civil rights organization — suggest the district invite a broad array of participants, including school administrators, parents, students, transgender people and guidance counselors.

“Really engaging in a thoughtful process is certainly a really good first step,” said Ellen Kahn, director of the organization’s children, youth and families program.

More than 100 school districts across the country have adopted policies aimed at creating safe and welcoming environments for transgender or gender-nonconforming students, she said.

Kahn recommends working groups address the following questions when crafting a district-wide policy:

• How would the policy apply across the whole K-12 education spectrum?
• Would other policies, such as dress code, need to be altered to align with the new one?
• How would the school district handle privacy and confidentiality issues, especially for children who have transitioned prior to attending a certain school?
• Would the district need to modify its approach to bullying and cyberbullying to better protect these students?
• Would the policy specify, in writing, why this important and benefits all children regardless of their gender identity or expression?
• Would school employees undergo professional development or training to help carry out the policy?

“It’s important to sort of think about how you build support and educate people in the school community who might have some negative reaction to any effort to even affirm the fact that transgender students exist,” Kahn said. “Often there’s a process of educating the school community … I think it’s hard to argue against having a school community that’s really supportive of all students.”

Feature photo: Clark County School District school buses line up to pick up special needs students at Variety School, 2800 E. Stewart Ave. on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2017.  Photo by Jeff Scheid.