Many schools in the Garden State are reevaluating their policies on the rights of transgender students. Most recently on Monday, April 11, the Pascack Valley Regional High School Board approved a policy that protects the rights of transgender students following a contentious meeting.

A growing number of districts are following suit by putting policies for transgender and non-conforming gender students in place. Other schools include Princeton, Jackson Township, Rumson-Fair Haven and Ocean Township. Toms River is also considering the change. The policies considered by schools in New Jersey vary in some way but essentially allow transgender students to use locker rooms or restrooms based on their "consistently asserted" gender identity. The policies generally require school staff to address transgender students using names and pronouns based on a student's gender identity. Students may also dress according to their asserted gender identity. "A lot of it boils down to education," said Corrine O'Hara, LGBT Coordinator with HiTops. HiTops is a non-profit health education and advocacy organization dedicated to helping young adults grow into an adult by providing comprehensive sexuality education and promoting healthy relationships and supportive connections. "People need to understand what gender identity means," O'Hara told Patch. "This is how people are expressing who they are… Really being true to themselves. I think they should be celebrated. They are just trying to figure out who they are and be true to themselves." Gender identity -- a personal conception of oneself as male or female -- is formed between 18 months to 3 years and sexual orientation -- who someone is attracted to -- comes out of puberty, New Jersey native and well-known transgender author and speaker Seth Rainess said. "Gender identity is who I go to bed as and sexual orientation is who I go to bed with," Rainess of Monmouth County said. These changes to policies have come with some controversy among the communities.