This email was sent on behalf of the Chesterfield School Board to all CCPS staff and families on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.
School Board revises policy 1015 (Treatment of transgender students in Chesterfield County Public Schools)
At its regular monthly meeting Dec. 10, the Chesterfield County School Board voted to revise policy 1015 (Treatment of transgender students in Chesterfield County Public Schools). The new policy takes effect immediately. See the revised policy here.
Of note, the new policy language includes:
In regard to student privacy:
In addition to adhering to all legal standards of confidentiality, school personnel shall treat information relating to a student’s transgender status, as being particularly sensitive, shall not disclose it to other students, and shall only disclose to other school personnel with a legitimate educational interest, and to a parent or guardian upon request. Parents may contact the school at any time to share parental input regarding counseling services that are provided to their student.
Per Code of Virginia § 22.1-272.1(B), school personnel are prohibited from parental contact where student is at imminent risk of suicide related to parental abuse or neglect.
In regard to student identification:
Schools shall allow students to assert a name and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity without any substantiating evidence. School staff shall, at the request of a student and parent, address the student using the asserted name and pronoun that corresponds to their gender identity.
School personnel and students who are not informed by the school administration of the designated names, nicknames and pronouns in the student’s official record will not be found to have discriminated against or harassed the student for not using the designated names, nicknames or pronoun.
Inadvertent or mistaken use of a name, nickname or pronoun not listed in the student’s official record will not constitute discrimination or harassment if the school administration determined that there was no intention to intimidate or harass the student.
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this policy, the school division shall not compel school division personnel or other students to address or refer to students in any manner that would violate their constitutionally protected rights.
In regard to dress code:
School Board Policy 4009 (DRESS CODE FOR ALL STUDENTS ATTENDING CHESTERFIELD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS) shall be followed.
In regard to student participation in school activities and events:
Sex and gender grouping for class activities or school-sponsored events should not be used unless necessary to accomplish the purpose of the activity or event.
In regard to access to facilities:
CCPS follows state and federal laws relating to student facility access.
Upon request, single-user facilities or other reasonable alternatives shall be made available to any student who seeks privacy. Any options offered shall be non-stigmatizing and shall not result in lost instructional time.
School staff will only use names and nicknames listed in the student information system (Synergy). As a reminder, the following processes remain in place regarding nicknames and preferred names:
A parent/guardian may provide a nickname for their child by logging into ParentVUE. Instructions on how to update a nickname are included in this document.
A parent/guardian may provide a preferred name in the student information system by, together with their child, completing, signing and returning this form to the school registrar. If the form is completed and submitted, the preferred name will be entered in Synergy (the student information system), StudentVUE, ParentVUE, Canvas and G-Suite. No changes in these systems will be made without consent from the parent/guardian.