Here's how 3 Ohio school districts handled transgender guidance

Ohio schools grappled with implementation of the Obama administration transgender bathrooms directive, which President Trump will reportedly reverse, according to an Associated Press report.

Five of the 11 local school districts interviewed by this newsroom in September said they have had at least one student who identified as transgender or gender neutral.

The guidelines issued in May tell public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity. The directive required public schools to grant bathroom access even if the student’s gender identity isn’t the same as what’s in the student’s record.

DETAILS: Source: Trump to lift transgender bathroom guidance

President Donald Trump believes the issue is for states to decide without the involvement of the federal government, the White House said in the AP’s reporting. This newsroom is working to find what impact the reversal could have in southwest Ohio. The issue forced several schools to make decisions about how to implement the policy.

Here’s a look at how three local school districts handled the matter:

» Kettering Fairmont High School — Principal Tyler Alexander said a reversal from the Trump administration would not change the school's implementation of privacy partitions in the male bathrooms. The district recently added the partitions inside boys' bathrooms to separate the sinks and stalls area — the area a transgender boy would use — from the area that contains a row of four urinals. READ MORE Kettering principal: Won't change bathrooms if transgender policy flips

» Troy City Schools — Troy City Schools officials said they are following legal advice in allowing a transgender student to use the school restroom of his new gender. Superintendent Eric Herman said school officials were approached just before school began by a junior high student. The student previously attended Troy schools as a female, but declared he is a male and asked to be able to use the boys' restroom. READ MORE: Gender, bathroom policy starts debate in Troy schools

» Springfield City Schools — Springfield City Schools has a nondiscrimination policy, but the policy didn’t mention transgender students among protected classes when interviewed in September. “As big and diverse as we are, we run into a wide variety of student and family situations,” Superintendent Bob Hill said. “We do our best to accommodate those situations, so this is nothing really new to us.” Hill said the gender identity/restroom issue does require some planning when it comes to field trips or summer programs. READ MORE Several schools deal with student gender issues

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The Associated Press and Staff Writer Jeremy P. Kelley contributed reporting.

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Will Garbe