Beloit School District Considers Adding Sex Education To Curriculum

Students in Beloit might soon be taking sex education courses.

Officials with the Beloit School District wants to add human growth and development to its curriculum. Currently, students only learn about sexually transmitted diseases in high school health classes. District leaders said that that limits the amount of information they are able to provide.

The district posted a survey on its website to find out what things parents and the community would like included in this new curriculum.

The assistant superintendent said those who responded to the survey said they would like younger students to learn about having a healthy body image.

But by fifth or sixth grade, students need more detailed information to coincide with the changes they may be see in their bodies, they said.

Earlier this week, the state Senate’s Education Committee discussed changing the law mandating sex education classes, giving school districts the chance to design their human growth and development courses.

However, the new law would emphasize abstinence education.

Beloit officials said that they want to hear from the community.

“This committee has been in place since February of last year so it’s really in response to what we’re hearing from our community. It really has nothing to do with the changes they are making to the law. It might change a little bit of what we do because of course, we have to follow the law,” said Lynee Tourdot, Beloit assistant Superintendent.

The first of the three listening sessions will be held on Oct. 24 at Aldrich Middle School at 6 p.m.

The assistant superintendent said parents always have the option to come in and take a look at the curriculum.

State law requires the district to gives parents the option to have their child involved in the program.

District leaders will take the feedback from the survey and the listening sessions and develop it into curriculum to be implemented next school year.