A community information session on the school division’s proposed policy to protect transgender and gender-expansive students will be livestreamed on Wednesday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. The livestream can be accessed at the following link: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/player.htm?xml/acpsevents.xml.
The session will include a presentation on the proposed Policy on the Treatment of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Students, which complies with a Virginia law enacted earlier this year. The new law requires that, prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year, all school divisions in the Commonwealth should adopt policies, procedures and practices for an inclusive school environment that includes the protection of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools.
During the livestream, School Board Attorney Ross Holden will present the school division’s proposed policy, which was provided to school board members for information at their business meeting on July 8. The board is expected to review the draft, consider changes, and adopt a policy during their August 12 meeting. In addition to Holden, Lars Holmstrom from the division’s Office of Community Engagement will discuss the equity research that went into the proposed policy’s development and the policy’s goals.
The livestream format, while accessible to large groups of people, does not accommodate interactive discussion between presenters and members of the audience. Accordingly, the division has established an email address, TransgenderPolicyFeedback@k12albemarle.org, where questions and comments can be received from the public. All questions will be answered and posted online prior to the August 12 school board meeting.
While the information session will be held in English, it will be posted within 24 hours on the division’s YouTube page, which allows viewers to select their preferred language when viewing the recording of the meeting.
CONTACT: Helen Dunn, Legislative and Public Affairs Officer
PHONE: 434-249-8379