Foothills School Division is working on making sure its administrative procedures and policies meet the requirements of the new guidelines set by Alberta Education last week.

The Guidelines for Best Practices: Creating Learning Environments that Respect Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Gender Expressions is said to help ensure safe, caring, welcoming and inclusive learning environments that respect everyone.

John Bailey, superintendent of FSD, says the well being of students and staff has always been a priority for the division.

"Basically we just want to get information out there to assure people that while we have to look at our administrative procedures and policies in light of new requirements, our guiding principle is really around our belief that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to learn and work in a safe and caring environment that's welcoming and inclusive. We really believe that in Foothills."

The new guidelines now require codes of student conduct to include definitions of bullying which will be reviewed annually.

Bailey says physical changes will also take place in schools to help accommodate all students.

"Any schools that are planned, being built, or having renovations done, we're required to make sure there's gender neutral washrooms available in them," he says. "We're going to have to review our facilities and do some retrofitting in some of our schools to make sure there's gender neutral washrooms that have privacy."

The division is encouraging families to express their opinions about the new guidelines to their local MLA and the education minister. Bailey adds anything the division receives will be passed along to the ministry to keep them informed on feedback from the public.

Once the initial draft of the revised administration procedures and policies is complete the division will seek feedback before sending it to the government by Mar. 31.

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