School Board Hears Proposed Changes to Sex Ed

Should high school freshman in be taught by their health teachers about options for contraception?

That was the basic question Tuesday night as district staff presented the School Board with its recommendation to move the freshman sexual education curriculum from an abstinence-only to an abstinence-plus platform. The answer will likely come in the next month as board members consider the plan as presented and possibly vote to change the district’s current policy.

According to the staff presentation, the current mandatory health education courses prohibit staff from discussing birth-control related information with students. Carla Johnson, executive director of teaching and learning, said many parents have asked that the policy be changed, pointing to a district survey that revealed 82 percent of respondents want abstinence-plus to be taught.

Abstinence-plus would still carry the same amount of information regarding abstinence being the only barrier to contracting sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy; however, an additional lesson would be taught on birth control and contraceptives.

The change would also allow teachers to discuss matters with students that they currently can not.

“A lot of what we want to do is to be able to answer kids questions in a professional manner,” said Laura Nussle, Kinetic Wellness Department Chair at .

The curriculum change would amount to one period taken for discussion of contraception, Johnson said.

A presentation given to the board by staff showed the change is proposed to address concerns regarding student health and sexually transmitted diseases.

Statistics from the Kendall County Health Department shows Chlamydia is the top communicable disease in the county. Centers for Disease Control figures report that one in every four sexually active teen has a sexually transmitted disease or infection.

Board member Brent Lightfoot, who joined the meeting via conference call, was not convinced the district should be teaching sexual education at all.

“My personal problem is that this is not the school’s responsibility,” he said.  “… I don’t think a public school is the place for this.”

Johnson stressed that at no time would demonstrations be performed related to contraceptives, and students will be able to opt out of the lesson, just as they are with the current curriculum. Board member Alison Swanson said she could support the change given the opt-out provision.

Asked after the meeting if he supports the change, Board President Bill Walsh said he needs to study the information given by staff before arriving at a decision. He said a vote on the change could come as soon as the board’s next meeting Oct. 24.

If the change is implemented, it is proposed to begin this school year.

To view the full staff report, click here