After the title IX regulations were approved by Park County School District #1 [PCSD1], opinions circled through Powell High School. Parents and community members shared their thoughts; however, students came up with their own way of thinking. 

Principal Timothy Wormald believed the meeting to be a success, a vessel for the community to contribute their opinions and input. 

“From my perspective, the meeting went well,” Mr. Wormald said. “It allowed people to express their opinions on a very sensitive issue. It allowed the board to hear from people on both sides of the issue. It allowed Mr. Curtis to communicate information that he may not have had the opportunity to communicate otherwise.”

However, some students disagree with this viewpoint. Luke Legler, a senior at PHS, has expressed his feelings towards the regulations becoming a non-enforceable policy and believes it will make a negative impact on the school. 

“Ultimately, I think the current policy is worth about as much as the paper and pen wasted on it,” Legler said. “Just because the state and feds haven’t made a law doesn’t mean we can’t do anything. It falls to the school board to make a policy in the absence of legal precedent.” 

An anonymous student took more of a neutral standpoint, as the policy has not personally affected them. They did, however, contribute their own idea of what solution should be made. 

“Since the population of transgender kids at our school right now is very small,” the anonymous student said, “I would propose that they could just use the staff bathrooms or the nurse bathrooms. And if not that, they can use the bathroom of the gender that they were originally assigned to.” 

Another anonymous source is worried about the lack of policy. They are concerned that without a regulation being currently enforced the school will be left with a negative impact. 

“Well, I thought that they made a decision that they could go into… the nurse’s restroom,” the second anonymous student said. “Which if you don’t want to use the bathroom that you’re biologically assigned to, then I feel like you should go to the nurse’s… and it kind of makes me uncomfortable.” 

Legler proposes an option of using staff restrooms to potentially avoid any current issues. However, he believes problems will still eventually arise. 

“I think it will have a negative effect on the school,” Legler said. “Our student body is fairly split on what to do and without a clear policy. There will most likely be more issues in the future. I think a fair solution would be to have the students in question use the staff bathrooms. That way they are not forced to use their sex-associated bathrooms and they’re not violating the privacy of other students.” 

Students are concerned that the board’s recent decisions will lead to remorse rather than success. 

“I think they’re going to regret it,” second anonymous said. “Because at some point, something’s going to happen, and they’re going to end up with a lot more lawsuits than just one.” 

Legler has expressed his frustration with the stance the board has taken on the matter and explains how it would personally affect him and his peers. 

“I would tell the school board that this is an unacceptable stance,” Legler said. “The fact is that there are numerous circumstances in our nation where a stance was not taken, and bad things happen. I will also say as a male student, I wouldn’t care if someone of the other sex dressed up as mine and entered my restroom. But if there is someone of my sex in my sister’s restroom, that’s a real problem, and that will cause real issues especially if something happened to her.”