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I don't understand why you would use the pronoun she in a context where the pronoun them and they would be wholly appropriate.

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It's become standard etiquette/respect/decency to use the pronouns preferred by the subject. Yes, it's an adjustment for us "old" folks over ~30 or so, but it gets easier with exposure and mindfulness.

hmmm, I wonder if a trans person would agree...

I haven't done any formal polling, but all the trans people I know prefer to be addressed by the pronouns of their choosing.

what if the author is writing about a trans person, which preference takes precedence? Did the author imply trans students don't exist when choosing to use a gender-specific pronoun to describe the student body?

I'm not understanding what the difficulty is. Always use the pronouns preferred by the person the pronouns are referring to. After that, basic grammar rules apply.

> what if the author is writing about a trans person

The author of the article in question isn't writing about trans persons in particular; you're trying to create a problem where there is none.

> Did the author imply trans students don't exist

No. Neither did the author imply that boys don't exist by using the pronoun "she". Only an intentionally uncharitable reading would lead one to that conclusion. Again, you're trying to create a problem where there is none.

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