The policy committee reviewed revisions to Policy 4023 (Pregnant, Parenting and Lactating Students and Employees) intended to align district practice with the 2024 Title IX regulations.

Staff introduced changes grouped into student and employee sections. For students, staff added definitions of pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions and new subsections detailing the Title IX coordinator’s role and the coordinator’s steps to prevent discrimination and provide support. Staff sought board direction on expanding language about who may receive accommodations. Committee members favored replacing language referencing a “biological parent” with the phrase “co‑parent” to be inclusive of fathers and other caregivers who participate in parenting duties.

Members also discussed athletics and the intersection of Title IX nondiscrimination with health‑based exclusions. Staff and the board’s legal advisors noted that the federal regulations prohibit excluding students from activities solely because of pregnancy; however, a certification requirement may be applied consistently to all students if it is required of everyone participating in the activity (for example, state athletic physical forms). Several board members requested that staff confirm whether existing athletic medical forms address changes in medical status during a season and to report back on how that is handled.

In the employee section, staff added language treating pregnancy or related conditions as a temporary medical condition and retained references to required accommodations. The committee also reviewed lactation‑support language, including creating student lactation plans and providing reasonable time and private space for pumping.

The committee approved placing Policy 4023 on the Nov. 18 consent agenda for first reading. Staff will bring back any requested technical edits and confirm whether athletic‑form language or return‑to‑play procedures should be added or clarified.