Though Park currently handles issues facing transgender students on a case-by-case basis, a new policy in the works could change that.

Superintendent Rob Metz said the actions of nearby school districts led him to consider whether Park should start creating its own  policy regarding gender identity.

“There are several school districts around us that are working on a gender identity policy,” Metz said. “I would say that we’re at the exploration stage, but that I think it’s important, and I’m starting to put a written policy together.”

After attending a meeting where high-level administrators from nearby school districts compared notes on their gender policies, Metz said he began working on a policy for Park.

“I took what I learned from them, and I came back here and started talking to people in the high school and school board to at least get the conversation going,” Metz said.

Metz said he took bits and pieces mainly from the policies of the Blake School and Minneapolis and St. Paul public school systems for his draft. According to Metz, the School Board could either decide to create a completely new policy, or update existing policies to include protection against gender identity discrimination.

Sophomore Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) member Jake Henry said he doesn’t know much about the policy but expects the GSA to be involved in the future.

“I think it’s really important to have a policy like this because our community is already played off as very accepting, and this would lead even more to a feeling of inclusion and community,” Henry said.

Metz said before he creates a formal draft, he will get feedback from district principals, the School Board and students.

“There’s a lot of details, like how we deal with bathrooms, how we deal with locker rooms, how we deal with overnight field trips, how we deal with names — both informally and on official school documents,” Metz said. “We’re not there yet, but I’m making a list of these things and I’m getting advice and suggestions from other school districts and other people.”

Metz said he aims to focus on the students and not the adults and therefore he plans on finding a way to involve students in creating the policy.

“One theme is ‘all genders welcome,’” Metz said. “No one’s going to be denied an opportunity to participate in anything and no one’s going to be discriminated against in any way — wherever they place themselves on the gender spectrum.”

Metz said while doing research he learned that experts in transgender issues suggest separating the concepts of sex and gender.

“We’re not talking about sex identity, we’re talking about gender. Male, female, or somewhere between male and female,” Metz said. “That was one key learning for me, to deal with gender, and to think of gender as a spectrum.”

Henry said he thinks the policy should include the handling and discussion of gender identity in the classroom.

“Teachers should always be aware of pronouns that a student uses,” Henry said. “They should also be aware of if that specific student wants their classmates to know they’re transgender, so they don’t out them to their peers.”

Metz said he has tentative plans to discuss the policy at a February School Board meeting.

“In the end, what I want is for St. Louis Park to be a place where everyone is welcome,” Metz said.