(Lander, WY) – The Lander School Board approved four new policies on final reading this week, including two that were drafted to comply with recently revised state statutes.
Sex Designated Facilities
One of those statute-based changes – Policy EJ – Sex Designated Facilities – requires all multiple occupancy restrooms and changing rooms in school district facilities to be “designated for the exclusive use of the male sex or the female sex.”
Aside from certain exceptions – like “to render caregiving assistance” – the policy says “every person shall use the restroom, changing room, and sleeping quarters designated for that person’s sex.”
“Any person who fails to use a restroom, changing room, or sleeping quarters that is designated for that person’s sex shall be subject to disciplinary action,” the policy states.
For anyone who “does not wish to use a multiple occupancy restroom, changing room, or sleeping quarters designated for (their) sex,” the policy says “a reasonable accommodation shall be made,” including “a single occupancy restroom, changing room or sleeping quarters.”
“A reasonable accommodation shall not include access to a restroom, changing room, or sleeping quarters that is designated for use by members of the opposite sex while persons of the opposite sex are present or could be present,” the policy states.
Superintendent Mike Harris said the policy language came from the Wyoming School Boards Association and conforms with Senate Enrolled Act 53, which the Wyoming Legislature approved this year.
The board adopted the policy 4-2, with one abstaining.
Before the vote occurred, however, Trustee Mara Gans said she “wanted to put on the record that I do not support this legislation.”
“There are students in our district right now who do not fit in the categories defined by that statute,” she said later in the meeting. “I want to acknowledge that, while that is the law we have to follow, it may not match or include all of our students. …
“I also want to remind the board that we have an obligation to advocate for the liberty and justice of all students, whether or not we agree with their decisions about their gender. We need to advocate for them.”
Those advocacy efforts could include reversing the board’s 2022 decision to remove sexual orientation and gender identity from the district’s discrimination policy, she suggested.
That decision was partly based on a Supreme Court ruling that federal officials have since “kind of backtracked on,” Gans said, urging the board to consider adding “sexual orientation and gender identity back into the district discrimination policy.”
Other advocacy actions Gans recommended include continued employee training on inclusive practices for LGBTQ students – like responses to LGBTQ-specific bullying and counseling tailored for LGBTQ individuals.
“We can support gender and sexuality alliances or student clubs to support these students,” she said. “We can (recognize) Pride Month, Trans Day of Visibility and National Coming Out Day, and ensure that our library collections reflect diverse identities and family structures, as well as providing support groups for families who may be (navigating) these topics or who are looking for more ways to support LGBTQ students. …
“We can make those students feel valued and heard and seen in our district.”
Trustee Aileen Brew agreed, adding that she would “wholeheartedly support the addition of those marginalized classes back into our discrimination policy.”
Brew also expressed support for “reviewing the training that we offer our educators and our counselors.”
“(That’s) pretty critical, especially in light of just the prevention of bullying and harassment,” she said.
Trustee Karen Harms shared similar comments, agreeing that “the more we can support and provide resources, the better for (these students) and their families.”
Other policies
The board also approved changes to district Policy INJ – Homeschooling this week in order to conform with a new state statute that removes curriculum reporting requirements for home school families in Wyoming.
“We no longer require parents to bring us evidence of the curriculum they’re using for their own instruction,” Harris said. “This policy definitely needs to be updated to remove that provision that was eliminated with the last legislative section.”
Another policy the board approved this week gives career and technical education teachers credits on the district salary schedule reflecting their relevant professional non-teaching experience.
“The idea there is to make sure that the salary is competitive (and we have) qualified people who really know and have done this type of work teaching our kids how to do this,” Harris said. “So after checking (and) making sure the budget implications would be all right, we thought that this would be a good idea.”
The last policy the board approved on second reading this week modifies the district’s drug-testing procedures for students involved in extracurricular activities, exempting sixth graders from the protocols and eliminating the initial mandatory drug screening requirement for all participants, who will still be subject to random drug testing throughout the year.
Random testing accounted for five of the seven positive drug tests recorded under the new policy last year, Harris noted.
Those seven positive drug tests involved five students “whose parents now know they have a drug problem” and can “help their child get the help that they need,” Trustee Scott Jensen said.
“In my mind, this is highly successful (and) well worth it,” he said. “We can fine tune it, which we’re doing here, (but) I’m highly encouraged with what’s happened, and hopefully it just gets better going forward.”
Before the drug testing program was established, “we had numerous medical emergencies” involving “students that were under the influence,” Harms pointed out, asking how many of those incidents were recorded during the 2024-2025 school year.
“I don’t think we had any,” Harris replied, adding, “We had some where they were suspected, but not (confirmed).”
For more information, call FCSD 1 at (307) 332-4711.