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Activities Board Approves Transgender Policy

South Dakota schools have a new policy regarding transgender students who want to participate in extracurricular activities.

The South Dakota High School Activities Association board adopted language Wednesday to establish protocol for approving participation requests.

James Weaver is the assistant executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association. He says the organization wants a policy in place so students avoid unnecessary hassle.

"We have transgendered students in our schools now, and it’s only a matter of time until we start having requests for a transgender student to participate in the activities of which they identify, so we thought it best to be pro-active instead of reactive in this situation," Weaver says.

Weaver says the policy is similar to the one the South Dakota High School Activities Association released earlier this year. He says the approved version has additional due process and appeal opportunities, which end with a decision from the board of directors.
 

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).
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