What’s changed
The district’s controversial parent rights policy, first adopted in January, requires district staff to notify parents if a child uses a pronoun at school that differs from their biological sex at birth. The policy also outlines restroom segregation and athletic participation based on biological sex and limits the content of instructional materials and district-sponsored events.
Here’s what’s new based on the August revisions:
- Definitions of “gender identity” and “gender fluidity” have been deleted from the policy and replaced with the term “social transitioning,” defined to include “adoption of a different name, different pronouns or other expressions of gender that deny or encourage a denial of the person’s biological sex at birth”
- New language prohibits district staff from assisting a student with social transitioning
- Parents can no longer request the use of specific pronouns for their student
- Teachers must now provide a copy of their syllabus or instructional plan to parents upon request at the start of each semester, and the district will make the information available on its website
- Parents have expanded access to student records, including attendance, test scores, grades, disciplinary, medical and counseling information
- The district will create a portal where parents can submit comments to administrators and the board of trustees
- A provision that every CFISD campus must communicate to parents how they can access library materials and policies pertaining to school libraries
- Clarification that a parent may request titles, authors, genres and return dates from their student’s library selections
- Expansion of prohibited material to include “indecent” and “profane” content as defined by state law
- Additional clarification of board procedures regarding the procurement of new materials and reconsideration of challenged materials
All policy changes are required by new state law. Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 12 during the 89th Legislative Session, which aims to give parents more authority over their child’s instruction.
In addition to the changes detailed above, SB 12 requires that all public and open-enrollment charter schools must:
- Receive parental consent before providing “medical, psychiatric or psychological treatments” to students
- Switch sexual education to opt-in instruction, rather than opt-out
- Set disciplinary policies for employees who engage in DEI-related activity, which CFISD included in its employee standards of conduct
The concept of parent authority as outlined in SB 12 is not new to CFISD.
Parents have been formally challenging library books for years, according to past Community Impact reporting, and the district implemented a new book categorization system in 2023. The board also approved several changes to textbook curriculum last June.
Parents and other community members have previously spoken out against the district’s library materials and parents rights policies, Community Impact reported, citing potential harm to students. Trustee Julie Hinaman has also repeatedly expressed concern with such policies, arguing they only support the beliefs and rights of some parents.
However, proponents of such policies, such as Trustees Natalie Blasingame and Justin Ray, view them as an opportunity for parents to protect their children from certain concepts.
Disagreement aside, district officials said the changes were necessary to ensure CFISD remains in good legal standing with the state of Texas.
