BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY, Ky. — The superintendent of a small, rural Kentucky school district is sharing his district's plans now that the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released guidance on Senate Bill 150.
Breckinridge County Schools Superintendent Nick Carter said his district is preparing teachers and staff for changes SB150 will bring, but he's confident that no matter what happens, his students will continue to be supported.
The district has six schools, 2,601 students and 495 employees.
SB 150, the anti-trans law, will ban gender-affirming care, require schools to enforce bathroom policies, and change curriculum, among other things.
Carter said the KDE guidance, and the bill itself, won't change much in Breckinridge.
For example, SB 150 requires students’ sex to match the bathroom they use. However, Carter said he's had students ask to use private staff bathrooms in the past because they aren't comfortable using the public ones.
“Healthy students. Happy students. That's our goal. We certainly don't need kids that, that are uncomfortable and not using the restroom during the day,” Carter said. “So for many years in our district, we've always communicated with the student. We've communicated with their family.”
As for curriculum, SB 150 bans discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity with students, regardless of age. The bill also mandates that fifth graders can no longer learn about reproductive body parts, and physical, social, and emotional changes that occur during puberty.
Carter said the latter was a KDE standard that now has to change, and the district is prepared to inform parents ahead of time about any discussions related to human sexuality for grades 6 through 12.
The KDE also said it can no longer provide guidance on the use of preferred pronouns.
Carter said the decision will now remain with individual teachers. He said he can’t anticipate what teachers’ response will be, but the district will remain respectful of everyone’s views.
Overall, Carter said the district's first priority is making students feel safe and comfortable. He said the rhetoric surrounding the public school system should stop.
“Teachers are wonderful, wonderful, caring people who just want to help kids,” Carter said. “You know, as educators, we're not interested in trying to be trying to indoctrinate; I know you hear that word a lot. That's just not what we do.”
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