CORUNNA — A much smaller, though still decent contingent of residents were on hand for Monday’s Corunna school board meeting, where Superintendent John Fattal gave a first reading of a new bathroom and locker room usage policy.
The bathroom and locker room policies Fattal outlined contained very similar language, with only small diversions. In each case, the policy drafts reiterated that “any student who has a need or desire for increased privacy, regardless of underlying reasons” may do so, whether that means accessing individual, gender-neutral restrooms, or adjusted changing schedules in locker rooms.
In the case of transgender students wishing to utilize the facilities they identify with, this would be allowed if certain sequential steps were taken. Firstl, there would have to be a “wrap-around meeting” with a school administrator, parents/guardians, “and potentially other appropriate personnel” such as a counselor, social worker, therapist, etc.
Second, a “gender identity change” would have to be approved within the school information system and proof of submission for a new birth certificate to the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services featuring the “student’s corrected name and/or gender” would have to be given. If applicable, updated drivers licenses would have to be on file as well.
These steps having been followed, the student would then be able to use their desired facilities — though in the case of locker rooms, this would not extend to group usage, as the policy draft professes a belief that “locker rooms are a place where an expectation of complete privacy from exposure to students with differing anatomy is expected.”
Students who take the steps to update their identifying information would still only be able to use locker rooms on a different schedule from cisgender peers, or else have to utilize individual facilities.
The district hopes the policy, which if enacted, will satisfy the privacy concerns voiced by numerous parents, while still adhering advice from Corunna Public Schools’ legal counsel, Thrun Law Firm. Thrun has advised CPS there are established legal precedents protecting students’ right to access facilities corresponding to their gender identity and upholding the district’s position — as stated in the policy drafts — that “students should be treated equally and fairly, free from discrimination, harassment and bullying based on their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.”
Fattal took pains to remind members of the public of the district’s multiple-pass approach to putting anything on the books.
“Any time with have policies … it’s a two month process. We do a first reading,” giving the board the opportunity to look at the item under consideration and make suggestions,” he said “Then we bring that back for a second reading.”
In prefacing his bathroom policy summation, Fattal also rehashed comments he made at May’s meeting. Prompted by members of the community, he had discussions with representatives of the Great Lakes Justice Center, who had offered to represent the district pro bono “all the way to the Supreme Court” should it elect to enforce an exclusionary policy, but would not cover damages should board members lose qualified immunity and be held personally liable for knowing violation of established jurisprudence.
Fattal said he asked GLJC to send along an example as to what their suggested policy might look like so that the board might consider it and its ramifications, but that, despite saying that they would, the center had not yet done so and the board could not afford to wait around on the issue.
At May’s meeting Fattal had said that the district would look into the costs surrounding installing floor-to-ceiling stalls in restrooms for additional privacy. Prompted by Strauch, he revisted that notion, offering the opinion that complete tearout and re-installation would be onerously expensive ($50,000 per restroom) but that he believed that workarounds building off of existing stalls could be implemented for only “a couple thousand dollars.”
It remains to be seen how Fattal’s proposed policies will be widely received, or even if they will go into effect, but one member of the public did approach him before the meeting went into a closed session to say that he felt that it was “a real good policy” and that “I appreciate the fact that you guys heard everybody” on the issue.
About 25 people showed up for Monday’s meeting — far smaller than May’s 70-person crowd, though still sizable for an assembly held outside of the school year, as Board President Jennifer Strauch noted when she thanked gallery members for their time. A number of those present melted away after the meeting’s early “Cavalier Recognition” segment, leaving 14 on hand for the meat and potatoes of budget and policy discussion.
The small cadre who remained after those kudos had been dispensed were present to listen, not to speak — though at least three had manned the pulpit in May — thus there was no public comment section following the board’s approval of the meeting’s consent agenda.
BUDGET APPROVED
Other significant agenda items preceded Fattal’s summation of the bathroom and locker room policy. These included approval of the final budget for the 2021-2022 school year and the preliminary budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Both passed unanimously.
Fattal expressed pleasure with the financial shape the district is in during discussion surrounding the budget votes. He said that when the preliminary 2021-2022 budget was approved a year ago, it projected a $1.2 million deficit.
“We have basically been able to spend the year cutting that in half,” Fattal said, “So right now we are looking at a deficit for this year’s budget of $604,334.”
Furthermore, owing to a number of factors, not the least of which is a projected state outlay of an additional $300 per full-time enrollment student at minimum, the preliminary budget for 2022-2023 only has a deficit of $73,100.
“Which, at this point, is really good. We haven’t anything that close to a balanced budget in June that I can remember,” Fattal said.
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