Regional School Unit 3 has policy that appears to explain students can identify as transgender at school without parental knowledge or consent

Parents Defending Education submitted a public records request to Regional School Unit 3 seeking any guidance on transgender issues. The district provided PDE with a policy titled “Transgender Students Guidelines.” The policy is very similar to a policy that PDE received from a public records request to Maine School Administrative District 15 in which the superintendent of the district explained to PDE that the policy was created by the Maine School Boards Association (MSBA). The policy appears to explain that students can make decisions regarding gender identity without parental consent by stating that students “or” parents can bring the issue up to administrators:

A transgender student and/or his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) should contact the building administrator or the student’s guidance counselor.

Staff and students are mandated to use the preferred pronouns of other students: “A student who has been identified as transgender under these guidelines should be addressed by school staff and other students by the name and pronoun corresponding to their gender identity that is consistently asserted at school.” Students are allowed to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match their preferred gender identity.