In June of this year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 12, a bill that limits how K-12 public schools in Texas structure programs related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Intended to provide parents with more oversight over “the moral and religious training of [their] child,” SB 12 prompted schools across the state to return to a blank slate and redefine what diversity, equity, and inclusion meant on their school campuses without the DEI policies.
At Seven Lakes, these restructuring efforts continue to affect both students and school administrators. This semester alone has brought both restrictions and reopenings, confusion and pushback, and procedural changes and pauses. Principal Kerri Finnesand spoke to The Torch for a behind-the-scenes look into how the campus is handling the change.
“Sometimes I wonder when the state comes down and gives us laws that [they understand that] we’re supposed to enforce at the high school level,” Finnesand said. “I don’t know if they understand all of the clubs that we have.”
One of the main implications of SB 12 on campus is the crackdown on clubs, especially those focusing on gender or sexual identity. This year Club X, their name protected out of privacy, was unable to continue their activities due to the new restrictions. Despite this, Finnesand emphasized that clubs remain central to campus life and student community.
“I firmly believe that kids should have something to be connected to,” Finnesand said. “So if it’s the underwater basket weaving club and that’s your passion, I say go for it. I’m just an advocate for kids to be connected to something—whatever that thing is—if it’s not illegal, if it’s not unethical, and if it’s not something that [is] socially polarizing.”
Under the new law, parents have more oversight over student activities, controlling not only student activities but also the health and educational services their child receives from the school. School psychology intern Emma Hildebrand described how these new barriers can feel “very isolating” for some students, but emphasized her adaptive approach to aiding those struggling students.
“This time could feel very overwhelming, [but] there’s always going to be people that are willing and want to support students,” Hildebrand said. “Mental health providers such as school counselors and social workers can provide resources for students who need additional support.”
Following Senate Bill 12’s implementation, students now need parental consent forms to participate in student clubs. While some students think increased parental involvement is beneficial, others are less enthusiastic. Junior Grace Gao explores both sides of these shifting student perspectives with her experience leading the crochet club.
“I feel like it’s good to try to get some parent involvement in what their child is doing, but at the same time I don’t think it’s that big of a harm to warrant an entire form for every single club that [student] joins,” Gao said. “I do think it deters a lot of people from actually joining the club because there’s an extra step in between having the interest and actually coming to the club meeting: we had to turn away two people [at] our first interest meeting which really sucked.”
Despite varying perspectives on campus, Finnesand emphasizes that “nothing like permission slips is going to hold us back,” and that the school will continue to uphold student voice despite the new limitations.
“I’ve always just been very passionate about listening to students and getting feedback and doing what I can to make this a better place,” Finnesand said. “At the end of [the school year], I want everybody to say that it was just such a great experience.”
