JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board is contemplating changes to its sex education policy, sparking concerns among parents. Although the topic was not on the agenda for Tuesday’s school board meeting, several parents voiced their apprehensions during the public comment session. The proposed changes are still in the early stages.
The proposed policy changes for health education were presented at a meeting on Jan. 29. The revisions include striking out the word “required” and instead stating in part, “Comprehensive Health Education shall be taught efficiently and faithfully using state-adopted books and materials.”
Additionally, a new section emphasizes that “the program will be abstinence-based and will promote sexual abstinence as the expected standard for students.”
Elissa Barr, a professor of public health at the University of North Florida, shared her thoughts on the proposed changes.
“I think the current push is to do less rather than more when it comes to sexual health education, and that’s unfortunate,” Barr said. “This curriculum is greatly needed, supported by the majority, and can actually help kids wait to have sex and use protection when they do.”
Parents are also worried about the possibility of the board changing the opt-out policy to an opt-in policy. Although the proposed documents do not currently indicate such a change, Mandy Rubin, a Duval County parent and member of Public School Defenders, expressed concern about discussions among school board members at a policy meeting regarding this potential shift. We looked at Duval County School’s meeting archive and couldn’t find the meeting from Jan. 29 to confirm that discussion.
Rubin noted the difficulty parents face in keeping track of numerous documents and decisions, fearing that an opt-in policy could result in students missing out on vital information.
“You know, so much just doesn’t make it home,” said Rubin. “So I worry that if it was to change to an opt-in policy, there would just be a lot more students who are missing out on pretty vital information.”
Erin Sharer, another Duval County parent and member of Public School Defenders, also voiced her concerns.
“Opting into public education is a right, not a privilege,” Sharer said. “We don’t opt into math, science, reading, or social studies, and we should not be opting into comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education.”
Barr emphasized the importance of balancing education about contraceptives and abstinence in sex education curriculums to help combat misinformation that students may find elsewhere.
“They are finding information everywhere, and it can be harmful and inaccurate,” Barr said. “As educated adults, we need to meet them where they are and provide evidence-based, data-driven information.”
News4JAX reached out to the school district’s communications department for a statement.
“It would be premature for us to address this. Discussion on this policy is still in progress,” a spokesperson for the district said.