Durango School District 9-R plans to provide survey to students with controversial questions on short notice

Concerned community members reached out to Parents Defending Education regarding a survey that Durango School District 9-R plans to provide to students on May 3, 2023. Parents were provided the survey with only about a week to review it to decide if they should opt their children out before the district intended to provide it to students. The Colorado Department of Education, Colorado School Counselor Association, and American School Counselor Association were used as inspiration for the survey.

In the survey, students are asked their “gender.” They are provided with several possible answers, including “woman,” “man,” “transgender,” “nonbinary,” “another gender not listed,” or “prefer not to answer.” Students are also asked their “ethnicity” with “American Indian or Alaskan Native,” “Asian,” “Black or African American,” and “Latino” provided as options. The questions are additionally asked to students in Spanish.