Scottsdale schools to bring back sex education after yearslong hiatus
The Scottsdale Unified School District is set to bring back sex education after a yearslong hiatus.
The district stopped teaching sex education at least four years ago because the curriculum had not been updated since 2011 and because it anticipated new laws "that would impact the review and selection of such curriculum," said Associate Superintendent Karen Benson at Tuesday's governing board meeting.
"That forecasting was accurate, as currently there are a host of statutes and admin code that schools and districts must follow if determining a course of study for sex ed," she said.
In 2021, former Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation barring districts from offering sex education before fifth grade.
Under that law, districts must also provide parents with "a meaningful opportunity to participate in, review and provide input" on any proposed sex education course of study. Committee meetings to review and select course materials must be open to the public, and proposed sex education materials must be available for public review for at least 60 days and be granted at least two public hearings during that period, according to the law.
Arizona law does not require schools to teach sex education, and parents must opt in if it's offered. Under the legislation passed in 2021, parents must also opt in for "any instruction, learning materials or presentations regarding sexuality, in courses other than formal sex education curricula." In Scottsdale Unified, lessons on puberty and human growth were also paused, Benson said.
As of September 2023, 28 states and D.C. mandate sex education, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit that produces research on reproductive health policy.
Scottsdale district cites requests from parents, nurses
Scottsdale Unified decided to re-introduce human growth and development instruction and sex education in response to requests from parents and nurses, Benson said Tuesday. It's an effort to give parents choices on how to meet their children's needs best, she said.
Elementary school nurses and fifth grade parents have "inquired about again offering lessons and information on puberty and hygiene" that were offered before the new law, and middle school parents have requested the district offer opt-in opportunities, she said.
“We recognize the benefits of providing families with developmentally appropriate opportunities for our students to learn more about human development, body image and sexual health," Benson said. "Access to such information has been shown to promote healthy behaviors and decision-making, reduce certain types of bullying and, at the high school level, decrease rates of dating violence and pregnancy."
The governing board unanimously approved the creation of an advisory committee during Tuesday's meeting. The committee is tasked with finding and recommending instructional materials to the board.
Out of 28 applicants, the district selected 10 people to serve on the committee. Five are staff members — a middle school physical education teacher, a high school physical education teacher, a principal, the lead elementary school nurse and a high school nurse — and five are parents with "specific experience and expertise, largely in healthcare," Benson said. At Tuesday's meeting, board members Amy Carney and Julie Cieniawski also nominated themselves to serve on the committee.
Benson told board members that sex education can come in a variety of forms.
Some districts, she said, simply offer resources for parents to have conversations with their children at home. Others partner with health care clinics or community organizations to provide opportunities for students and parents to learn together outside of school, offer virtual education or teach elective lessons during the school day. The nearby Tempe Union High School District provides sex education as part of its health curriculum, according to district spokesperson Megan Sterling. Phoenix Union follows that same model.
But Scottsdale Unified can't offer any of those things without board approval first, Benson said.
The committee is set to meet several times over the next few months, with public hearings planned for March and April. Proposed materials are set to go to the board in May and June. If approved, parents can opt in for their kids next school year.
Madeleine Parrish covers K-12 education. Reach her at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Scottsdale schools to bring back sex education after yearslong hiatus
