SE Valley Times

Mesa Public School (MPS) District Superintendent Andi Fourlis offered a public response to community backlash against the school’s new 'Transgender Student Support Plan' during the board's June 14 meeting, saying the plan does not seek to cut parents out of communication with their children.

According to district documents, the MPS support plan allows students to select a chosen name, pronouns and "gender identity." Students can also decide how that information is shared and which officials have access to it. However, the latest version of the policy, which was edited in August, doesn't ask if parents are aware of the student's identity, although it does say parents or guardians would be notified of any name or gender status changes.

As a result, Fourlis spoke on the support plan, "to further clarify the purpose and protocol going forward, the Transgender Support Plan document has been revised to be more clear in this intent," she said at the meeting.

In her statement, Fourlis said, “This is is unusual for me to do a superintendent report during the summer, but I think it's really important that I do that. And this evening, my superintendent report is focused on responses to five concerns that have been shared from our community. Some of these concerns have been shared through public comment during governing board meetings, and some have been shared through social media, and as recently as the state superintendents press conference held last week.”

Fourlis also added that the board respects the fact that "families choose how and where to educate their children and that they have many choices. The transgender support plan was developed to do just that: work with families and students to determine how best to provide support for their children. When a student or parent reaches out to a school for support, the transgender support plan is a tool that leaders may use to clarify how the student's needs may be accommodated.”

Fourlis said the issues came about in early May when board member Rachel Walden brought up the changes. The plan was later updated, the SE Valley Times reported, after the board's May 23 meeting where parents shared their opinions and some threatened to remove their children from the district. The district also sought legal counsel, as attorney Udall Shumway said it was "our legal opinion that the current version of the MPS guidelines do not violate state or federal laws and follows MPS policy.”

Fourlis said that any concerns that some students are participating in the "Transgender Student Support Plan" without their parents' knowledge is unfounded.

"I have also heard that the transgender support plan is a plan to help students with medical transitions. That is also not true,” Fourlis said at the meeting.