After a contentious Board of Education meeting on Monday evening, Transgender students at Potterville Public Schools can continue to use the restroom for the gender they identify with.
Some families are not happy with the board’s decision to spend more than $12,000 to build new mixed restrooms.
Several hundred people from all over the city, including children and local religious leaders, attended the Potterville Board of Education meeting.
A dialogue to transform the bathroom policy was taking place on the table. Transgender students should be required to use mixed personal restrooms, according to some parents’ calls for a policy.
More than 30 people spoke with the board
about the topic at another area meeting held last quarter. Any decisions were decided to be moved to the first meeting of the new year by committee members.
The Potterville area expressed the same fervor on Monday, including the stepparent of a transgender student.
According to Kristi Tullis, “She has done nothing to anyone in this group other than be kind, compassionate, and polite.” “She won’t be in the locker rooms, I assure you. She is not an athlete; she is a scholar. She poses no threat to anyone.”
However, some members of the community pushed for the board to introduce a fresh plan.
According to Brittany Archer of the unisex bathroom policy, “It makes no sense to me why you wouldn’t choose that option if you are uncomfortable using both bathrooms. Oh, I see. The LGBTQ community is attempting to make a point.”
Board of Education members debated whether to transform legislation and convert all restrooms into single-stall units for more than an hour.
In a unanimous vote, $12,100 was set aside to support the conversion of four restrooms into gender-neutral restrooms.
The board’s decision to maintain the
current bathroom plan, which angered some families, including Archer, was cast in a split vote.
“Many families are tired of hearing this. Because people are pulling their kids and mine are being pulled future,” she claimed, “they are in a $400,000 debt.”
Transgender activists are relieved that the plan has been upheld despite pressure, after calling the renovations a “neutral floor.”
“For the institution, that would definitely entail some rules. Additionally, they don’t need to experience a worse financial crisis than they already do,” said dissident group vice president Kallie Strouse.
According to board members, more research will be done to determine what would be required to redesign the district’s other restrooms and install mixed single-stall bathrooms.
