The Haverford Township School Board voted 8-0 on Thursday, Oct. 15, to adopt a policy guaranteeing equity and nondiscrimination protections for gender-expansive and transgender students across the district's schools.
The board also appointed two new assistant principals at the same work session: Carolyn Berg at the middle school and Rachel Moller at the high school.
Policy 259, approved on its second reading, covers name and pronoun use, restroom and locker room access, athletics participation and student privacy for the district's roughly 6,530 students, according to board meeting minutes.
Under the policy's administrative regulation, students can use a chosen name and pronouns without a court order or parental permission. Staff who intentionally and persistently refuse to respect a student's gender identity would be in violation of district policy.
The regulation also states that transgender students shall have access to restrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity. Where available, administrators should make every effort to provide single-stall restrooms for any student who wants more privacy, but no student can be required to use one.
For athletics, participation on teams shall follow the student's gender identity and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association bylaws, the regulation states.
On privacy, the policy directs school personnel not to disclose a student's gender identity to others, including parents, unless legally required, necessary to accommodate or ensure the safety of the student, or authorized by the student.
Board member Kimberly McKay moved to adopt the policy. Dave Schwartz seconded. All eight members present voted yes. Board member LaTonia Lee was absent.
No members of the public spoke on the policy during the meeting's agenda-item comment period.
Two new assistant principals
Berg's appointment as middle school assistant principal carries a salary of $134,699, prorated from her Sept. 22 start date. Moller's high school assistant principal role pays $125,604, prorated from Oct. 12.
The personnel package, approved on a motion by John Flagler and seconded by Nicole Snyder, also included a special education teaching hire at the middle school, seven new instructional assistants and support staff at Lynnewood, Manoa, Chestnutwold and the high school, and the retirement of custodian Richard Barone after more than 20 years of service.
The board approved a separate bill list totaling $3,271,577.48 and adopted a second policy, Policy 913, governing communication and advertising by outside organizations.
Three residents spoke during the general public comment period about the Spanish Club at Chestnutwold Elementary. The board reported no executive session before the meeting.
The next Haverford Township School Board meeting is an action meeting scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the board room of the Oakmont Administration Building.
