SERIES 5000: STUDENTS, CURRICULUM, AND ACADEMIC MATTERS
5400 Curriculum, Instruction, and Parent/Guardian Involvement
5420 Sex Education
Sex Education and Reproductive Health (for districts electing to provide sex and reproductive health education in addition to mandated communicable disease instruction).
A. Communicable Disease Instruction
The Superintendent or designee will ensure that students are taught about dangerous communicable diseases. Instruction must include the principal modes by which dangerous communicable diseases, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, are spread and the best methods for disease restriction and prevention. Instruction must be provided by qualified instructors as defined by state law. Instruction must stress that abstinence from sex is: (1) a responsible and effective method of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and (2) a positive lifestyle for unmarried young people.
B. Revision to Materials and Methods of Instruction
Before revising curriculum about dangerous communicable diseases, the Board will hold at least 2 public hearings occurring at least 1 week apart on the proposed revisions.
C. Sex Education Advisory Board The Board will create a sex education advisory board to:
1.establish sex education program goals and objectives for student knowledge and skills that are likely to reduce the rates of sex, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases;
2. review materials and methods of instruction used in the District’s sex education program;
3. make recommendations to the Board for implementation of a sex education program; and
4. evaluate, measure, and report the attainment of program goals and objectives at least every 2 years
The sex education advisory board must include the following members: parents/guardians, students, educators, local clergy, and community health professionals. At least half of the members must be parents/guardians who have a student in the District. A majority of those parents/guardians must not be employed by a school district.
The sex education advisory board will have 2 co-chairs appointed by the Board. One co-chair must be a parent/guardian of a student in the District.
The Board may, in its discretion, determine and modify terms of service for sex education advisory board members, the number of members, and the membership selection process.
Co-chairs or their designees will provide members of the sex education advisory board 2 weeks’ electronic or written notice of meetings.
D. Sex Education Courses
The Board authorizes age-appropriate, medically-accurate instruction in sex education including, but not limited to, family planning, human sexuality, and the emotional, physical, psychological, hygienic, economic, and social aspects of family life. Instruction may also include the subjects of reproductive health and the recognition, prevention, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. The District’s sex education curriculum must comply with state law.
Instruction must include principal modes by which dangerous communicable diseases, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, are spread and the best methods for disease prevention.
Sex education instruction must be provided by qualified instructors as defined by state law. Instruction must stress that abstinence is (1) a responsible and effective method of preventing unplanned pregnancy, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases, and (2) a positive lifestyle for unmarried young people.
Sex education is an elective course and is not required for graduation.
E. Reproductive Health Instruction
A reproductive health instruction program must be supervised by a licensed physician, a registered nurse, or other person certified by the State Board of Education as qualified.
No person may dispense or distribute a family planning drug or device on District property.
Clinical abortion is not considered a method of family planning, and abortion must not be taught as a method of reproductive health.
F. Revision to Materials and Methods of Instruction
Before revising sex education materials or methods of instruction, or before revising curriculum about dangerous communicable diseases, the Board will hold at least 2 public hearings occurring at least 1 week apart on the proposed revisions.
G. Parental Notice and Opt-Out
A student may not be enrolled in a class in which family planning or reproductive health is discussed unless the student’s parent/guardian is provided advance notice of the course content, is given a prior opportunity to review the course materials, and is provided advance notice of the right to excuse the student from the class. If a parent/guardian excuses a student from the class in writing, the student will not be penalized or lose academic credit for not attending the class.
A parent/guardian may file written notice that the student is excused from all sex education offered by the District. If the District receives written notice, the student may not be enrolled in a sex education class unless authorized by the parent/guardian in writing.
H. Employee Responsibilities
Employees must comply with Policy 4209
Legal authority: MCL 380.1169, 380.1506, 380.1507, 380.1507a, 380.1507b]
Date adopted: 08/09/2021
Date Revised:
