Local Schools Look to State for Guidance on New Bathroom Guidelines

A directive issued by President Obama’s staff earlier this month has school systems looking to State Boards of Education for guidance. The directive letter states schools must allow transgender students to use the restroom they feel best fits their gender. Now school systems like Butler County are waiting to see what new policies will be enacted.

The directive issued by White House administration does not carry the weight of a law, but does imply schools could be sued or lose federal funding if they do not comply with the letter. The directive was enacted to allow transgender students to feel safer and more accepted while at school.

The safety of students is a top concern for Superintendent of Butler County Schools Amy Bryan.

“Priority one: students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe in school,” she says. “And that includes in the restroom, and anywhere on the school campus, buses and everywhere.”

While Bryan does not know of any transgender students in her schools, she understands policies must change with the times.

“There used to be a policy where students had a smoking section in high school, when I was in high school,” she says with a laugh. “And of course now we know about smoking, and we don’t even have a teacher place to smoke on campus.”

Even if her schools have yet to deal with the issue on a personal level, once a new policy is adopted either state or nationwide, Bryan and her schools will be following it.

“Right now, we don’t know what that policy will look like, for Alabama schools,” she says. “We haven’t been given guidance at this time, from either the State Department of Education or our networking organizations that are advocating on our behalf.”

Greenville Principal Joseph Dean agrees. He and his staff plan on following whatever new policies are put in place.

“Here at this school, we will follow the policy as written, and not deviate from it in any manner whatsoever,” says Dean.

Bryan is hoping the policies will be drafted in time for school conferences this summer, to add any potential new guidelines to the handbooks.