Blair Oaks R-II Board of Education to discuss transgender policy
WARDSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Blair Oaks R-II Board of Education is set to talk Tuesday night about the school district's transgender policy.
Board members are scheduled to meet in the library at Blair Oaks Intermediate School at 7 p.m. The school board is set to approve policy 2115, the district's transgender policy, and other items.
The board tabled the discussion about the policy in August after parents shared their opinions both for and against the policy during a meeting.
Policy 2115 would allow students to pick a name and pronoun that matches their gender identity. Students may also use the restroom according to their gender or a gender-neutral bathroom.
The policy is in accordance with the Missouri State High School Activities Association regulations for sports. Those regulations include allowing transgender men, female to male, to compete on a boys' team but are no longer allowed to compete on a girls' team.
Transgender women, male to female, may continue to compete on a boys' team but may not compete on a girls' team until one year of documented medical hormone treatment and/or suppression is completed.
To maintain eligibility, a trans-female student will need to provide medical documentation the appropriate hormones are being maintained.
At the school board's last meeting, board members said the policy is similar to those of other schools across Missouri. The school district adopted the transgender policy two years ago before receiving a complaint.
The school board also plans to discuss the timeline in the search for a new superintendent. Jim Jones vacated the position after he retired in July.
