North Carolina PowerSchool Chosen Name Update

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction announced a statewide update to the PowerSchool student information system which will provide “preferred name” fields populating student records. This change is applicable for all North Carolina schools starting March 21.

This is an important victory for transgender and gender-nonconforming students who experience a difficult time advocating for their chosen name to be reflected in school documents including class rosters, yearbook, bus rosters and lunch rosters. The update to PowerSchool creates a solution to transgender and gender-nonconforming students who may go by a name other than what is listed on their legal documentation.

Please use this page to download the Equality NC Chosen Name Update Permission Form to request a name update in PowerSchool. This form is to be signed by the requesting student and family member or guardian to give permission to the name update. Please take the completed signed form to the student’s school office. Each school and district may have different processes to complete the Chosen Name Updates so please be patient as this is a new update and process.