The Chehalis School Board, the county’s last public school holdout on a new gender affirmation law, passed the state policy on final reading at a Tuesday morning school board meeting against the vocal opposition of some parents.
The topic has been a contentious one this summer between the school board and a number of community members after the district was notified by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in May that it had been out of compliance for many months with the new law.
The district would risk the loss of state funding by not passing the policy, which allows students to use restrooms and locker rooms in accordance with their identified gender. Many parents have been vocally against a clause in the policy that allows the district to facilitate discussions of gender identification with the student while keeping that information away from parents.
Though it hasn’t been codified until now, Chehalis Superintendent Christine Moloney has previously said the district has been working in compliance with the law outlined in RCW 28.A.642.080 and that this wouldn’t change much of how the district conducts business.
Still, emotions at the district’s school board meeting on Tuesday ran high for a third consecutive month. More than a dozen community members addressed the elected school board about the policy, BP 3211.
“I just can’t believe that we’re even thinking about a boy going into a girl’s room. It just appalls me — and everyone that I know, it appalls … I’m not going to say we have to go against the state of Washington, but at this point it seems to be pretty vital (that’s) what you guys need to do,” said longtime community member Reggie Hamilton. “I think you need to vote with us.”
Another community member said those private conversations, such as those focusing on gender, “doesn’t concern teachers, it does not concern the government, and it certainly has nothing to do with American taxpayers’ money.”
Following the passage of the policy, attendees again threatened to pull their children from attending class in the Chehalis School District.
The school board members reiterated that their hands were tied on the matter and they urged community members to write to the governor and their state lawmakers.
“We know this issue is important to all, no matter where you stand on the issue. Of the 14 school districts in Lewis County, we are the last district to comply with the law. As a non-partisan elected official of a public school district, we are required to uphold the law, including adoption of this policy,” Chair Larry Petersen said.
Board member Colleen State said this was not an easy issue for the board to consider, and that they appreciate all the public input they continue to receive.
“You may see it as us selling out, but the people of Chehalis voted me and voted us in as a board, and they expect us to do our duty. We need to follow our oaths of office,” State said, before being interrupted by an attendee.
Board member J. Vander Stoep said he gave it “serious consideration” when someone at the June board meeting suggested the board all resign in protest. But, after consideration, he came to the conclusion that passing the policy would result in a better outcome for the community instead of them fighting the state.
The Washington state Office of the Attorney General would be able to get a writ enforcing the district to act on the state policy over the district’s revised policy, Vander Stoep said.
“We would get the policy even more than what we’d modified. That’s just the fact,” he said.
Vander Stoep said while he doesn’t believe the state would be bold enough to withdraw state money from the district, the state would likely send down a state supervisor to oversee the policy’s implementation. Those outcomes would be worse than the policy that they approved, he said.
Chehalis Superintendent Previews Fall Health Guidelines
Superintendent Dr. Christine Moloney during the meeting on Tuesday also gave the community a preview of what health guidelines will look like for students and staff this fall.
During her superintendent report, Moloney said this year’s health mandates brought down from OSPI due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are less stringent than last year’s, though students and staff will be required to continue to wear masks, sanitize and social distance throughout most of the day.
Public K-12 school districts will be required at the start of this year to offer five days a week of in-person instruction for all students.
“We had lots of regulations and requirements and mandates that we had to make sure we were following last year. Good news is that, this year, it’s less restricted,” Moloney said.
Vaccinated staff and teachers will be allowed to unmask when students aren’t around, according to new Department of Health guidelines released on Aug. 11, and all students and staff will be allowed to remove face coverings while outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Vaccinations are currently only required for a limited number of staff members, but that information may have changed late Wednesday with news that Gov. Jay Inslee would hold a press conference with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, who has called for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all K-12 employees.
Chehalis and other school districts this fall also will ditch the daily attestation forms that parents and students were mandated to fill out in order to attend class in-person. They’re also ditching mandated temperature checks.
Hand hygiene will be emphasized for students in seventh through 12th grade, and a 3-foot social distancing rule will be put in place in most situations.
Moloney said Chehalis held the distinction last year of being the largest school district in Western Washington to offer face-to-face instruction, between October 2020 and last March. The district also didn’t record any in-school transmission during this time, and Moloney said masking, social distancing, proper hygiene, disinfecting and attestation played a role in that.
“Yes, there were cases of COVID, but it wasn’t because they were in school,” Moloney said.
More information on health guidance protocol at the district will be available on the district’s website.
