SANTA FE, N.M. — Santa Fe Public Schools has revised its gender support regulations to require parental involvement before a student can add a preferred name or gender marker to the district’s student information system, a change that comes after some parents raised concerns about transparency and the district’s handling of gender identity issues.
The revised Administrative Regulation 330, amended Aug. 20, requires a parent or legal guardian to participate in the district’s Gender Support Plan process when a student seeks to have a preferred name or gender marker included in the student information system. The process requires a meeting with the student and parent or guardian to discuss district policy and requested accommodations.
The regulation, however, also directs school employees to use a student’s requested name and pronouns in day-to-day interactions regardless of whether those changes have been entered into the student information system or legally changed. That distinction has prompted some parents to question how much involvement families will have in informal changes at school.
“It was more of a ‘let’s-just-do-this-and-shut-them-up’ situation instead of ‘let’s hear these parents out,’” Jenna Trujillo, whose son attends Amy Biehl Community School, told Independent Women’s Features, which reported on the policy changes.
The revised regulation says Santa Fe Public Schools is committed to providing students with a “safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environment” and protecting students from discrimination and harassment based on several characteristics, including sex, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity.
The policy also addresses access to restrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations. Students generally may use facilities corresponding with the gender marker listed in the district’s student information system, while any student may request access to a private facility. For overnight trips, students generally may participate according to the gender identity listed in the system, with individual circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis.
The district’s broader Board Policy 330, last amended in 2023, prohibits discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and says students may participate in sex-designated activities and use sex-designated facilities consistent with their gender identity.
Concerns about parental notification have continued despite the August revision. A parent identified by Independent Women’s Features with the pseudonym Blake Keller said his child brought home a classroom worksheet asking students about preferred names and pronouns, including whether those names should be used with their parents.
“Why would they be withholding information about my child from their legal guardian?” Keller told the publication.
The district regulation says information about a student’s transgender status, gender identity or Gender Support Plan is confidential student information and must be handled in accordance with federal and state privacy laws. It also says school personnel generally may not disclose a student’s transgender status or gender identity to other students, other students’ parents or other individuals without the student’s consent unless disclosure is otherwise authorized or required by law.
Trujillo said she has contacted local and state officials seeking additional clarity about the district’s policies and is considering whether her family may need to explore other educational options.
“I’ve tried every avenue I know of to reach out,” she said.
