Commissioner objects to Kelso School District homeless‑liaison contract over policy concerns; HHS offers to delay

Health and Human Services on Monday asked the board to approve a contract with Kelso School District to fund homeless‑liaison services that connect students and families to housing and school supports.

Gina James, Health and Human Services, said the district had previously appeared before the board to describe services for homeless students and their families and that HHS could bring district representatives back if commissioners wanted more detail.

A commissioner responded that he would not support the contract, giving multiple reasons: he said the district has sufficient budget to provide the service, referenced a prior county grant to Community House, and raised objections to the district’s “gender‑inclusive policy 3211,” characterizing it as a moral concern and saying he would not support funding while that policy remains in place. He called district practice on gender‑expansive students “disgusting beyond all belief” and asked that the item be pulled from the agenda.

James offered to remove the item or return with district officials to answer questions; commissioners discussed whether to pull the item if it was unlikely to pass. One commissioner noted personal experience with the McKinney‑Vento program and said the board had not been fully briefed on the services provided.

The county did not act on the contract during the meeting; HHS said it could bring the district back to provide more information. No vote was recorded.

The exchange combined programmatic questions about funding sources and prior local grants with a policy objection focused on the district’s gender‑inclusive practices. The board’s next action is to decide whether to keep the contract on the consent agenda or remove it for more information from Kelso School District.