Your school board addressing big issues, please pay attention

Being an elected official, either on the city or school board levels, isn’t easy. The issues seemingly always hit close to home and there isn’t the anonymity that comes with representing an area one doesn’t live in.+Monday, June 12, the New Prague Area School Board is expected to address, at least conversationally, two important issues, one potentially impacting the district and its children for years to come. Regardless of their point of view, we’d hope people pay close attention. After all, this is important stuff. And over time, it comes with a cost. +The board will address a guidance on how the district provides facilities to transgender, or gender-nonconforming, students. The proposed guidance will no doubt be impacted by a court-approved settlement involving the Anoka-Hennepin School District, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, a student and his mother plus the American Civil Liberties Union. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the Anoka-Hennepin School District and school board forced a transgender student to use a segregated locker room based solely on his gender identity and then threatened to discipline him if he did not use the segregated locker room. This violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which was the first state law in the country to prohibit gender identity discrimination.

The boy and his mother, represented by Gender Justice and the ACLU of Minnesota, initially filed the lawsuit in early-2019. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights was allowed to join the litigation that summer.

In a landmark decision, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Minnesota schools must allow students to use locker rooms aligning with their gender identity under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. In its powerful opinion, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights noted the court recognized "students should not be required to 'shop' among schools and districts to obtain a discrimination-free education.”

The agreement, in part, requires Anoka-Hennepin to implement a policy allowing every student to use facilities consistent with their gender identity and report to MDHR any alleged violations of this policy and add a statement to its website and student handbook affirming students of all gender identities are valued and welcome.

At a recent New Prague School Board meeting, a handful of parents expressed concern their children would be subjected to exposed genitalia of the opposite gender. Their worries were based in the concern parents should have for their children, but were absent of fact-based rationale. As a public institution, the New Prague School District can’t ignore the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling.

We recognize the presentation by parents was likely ignited by Director Dan Call releasing a proposed policy the board plans to discuss at its meeting Monday, June 12. Call said he released the document because the district’s administration wouldn’t publicly address the issue. In doing so, he likely damaged any credibility he may have with other board members. The proposed policy was published on social media with no interest in a balanced point of view to the district’s legal obligations. Its primary point of view, it seems, was to inform and promulgate fear within the community.

Monday,June 12, the board will also discuss the potential of a levy referendum. In giving school districts most everything they would want, state lawmakers allowed districts to renew an existing referendum one time for six years without voter approval. It seems likely the NP board will take advantage of this gift from St. Paul and then consider the notion of seeking an additional per-pupil sum. You should know what the board is considering.

Last fall, when the two question referendum failed, many people claimed they knew nothing about it. One of the candidates for school district superintendent, a New Prague area resident, even indicated little or no knowledge of the district’s plans. The board began discussing a proposed referendum five months before the vote in November of 2022. The finalists to replace retiring Superintendent Tim Dittberner were asked about how they would conduct an information campaign promoting a successful levy referendum campaign.

If the board decides to move ahead with a referendum campaign, it must make a robust effort to inform all the district’s residents, not just end note those with children enrolled in school. While we can’t make sure everyone reads the paper or our website, we’ll do our best to inform people. Claiming you didn’t know is, at best, a lame excuse to vote against a referendum.

This isn’t about whether you should vote yes or no. That’s a decision you get to make. Pay attention to the board’s actions as reported. Ask board members good, tough questions and make sure you make your decision on sound logic.

The rest is up to you.