The Methow Valley School District board of directors is authorized by law to determine whether sexual health education instruction will be offered in the district. The board has determined that such a program will be offered to students, consistent with state law.

Sexual health education instruction offered by the district shall be medically and scientifically accurate, age appropriate, appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability status, or sexual orientation and include information about abstinence and other methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence will not be taught to the exclusion of other instruction on contraceptives and disease prevention. The district’s sexual health education program shall be consistent with the 2005 Guidelines for Sexual Health Information and Disease Prevention developed by the Department of Health and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The School will provide parents/guardians an opportunity to review the materials to be used 30 days prior to the presentation.  Parents may exclude their child from the instruction only by written request.

HIV/AIDS PREVENTION EDUCATION

The life-threatening dangers of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and its prevention shall be taught in the district. HIV/AIDS prevention education shall be limited to the discussion of the life-threatening dangers of the disease, its transmission and prevention. Students shall receive such education at least once each school year beginning no later than the fifth grade.

The HIV/AIDS prevention education program shall be developed in consultation with teachers, administrators, parents, and other community members including, but not limited to, persons from medical, public health, and mental health organizations and agencies. The curricula and materials used in the HIV/AIDS education program may be the model curricula and resources available through OSPI or, if developed by the school district, be approved for medical accuracy by the State Department of Health, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education Services (Office on AIDS). District-developed curricula shall be submitted to HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education Services accompanied by an affidavit of medical accuracy stating that the material in the district-developed curricula has been compared to the model curricula for medical accuracy and that in the opinion of the district the district-developed materials are medically accurate. Upon submission of the affidavit and curricula, the district may use these materials until the approval procedure to be conducted by HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education Services has been completed.

At least one month before teaching HIV/AIDS prevention education in any classroom the district will offer parents and guardians the opportunity to review curricula and materials that will be used for such education. The parents and guardians shall be notified of the presentation and that the curricula and materials are available for inspection. No student may be required to participate in HIV/AIDS prevention education if the student’s parent or guardian, objects in writing to participation.

The curriculum for HIV/AIDS prevention education shall be designed to teach students which behaviors place a person dangerously at risk of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and methods to avoid such risk including, at least:

• ·   The dangers of drug abuse, especially that involving the use of hypodermic needles; and
• ·   The dangers of sexual intercourse, with or without condoms.

The program of HIV/AIDS prevention education shall stress the life-threatening dangers of contracting HIV/AIDS and shall stress that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain means for preventing the transmission of HIV through sexual contact. The instruction shall also stress that condoms and other artificial means of birth control are not a certain means of preventing the transmission of HIV; and, reliance on condoms puts an individual at risk for exposure to the disease.

 Cross Reference:         Board Policy 2020            Curriculum Development and Adoption of Instructional Materials                      

Legal References:       RCW 28A.300.475           Medically Accurate Sexual Health Education

                                                                             Curricula — Participation excused — Parental review

                                    RCW 28A.600.480 (2)    Reporting of harassment, intimidation, or bullying

                                                                            Retaliation prohibited — Immunity

                                    WAC 392-410-140        Sex Health Education — Definition — Optional course or subject matter — Excusal of students

Management Resources:

                                    Policy News, February 2009   Healthy Youth Act

                                    Policy News, August 2007      Sex Education Curriculum and Instruction

Cross References:       Board Policy 3414                  Infectious Diseases                   

Legal References:       RCW 28A.230.070                AIDS Education in public schools

                                    RCW 28A.300.475                Medically accurate sexual health education

                                               70.24.250                    Repository and Clearing House for AIDS Education and Training Materials

Management Resources:

            Policy News, December 2008 HIV/AIDS Prevention Education

Adoption Date: 2.11

WSSDA 2.09

Classification: Priority