Beloit School District Holds Sex Ed Listening Session

The Beloit School District held a listening session Thursday night on what students will learn in a sex education curriculum.

The meeting comes on the heels of the state Senate approving a Republican-backed plan that would require sex education teachers to stress abstinence over contraception.

Beloit Superintendent Steve McNeal said currently students learn only about sexually transmitted diseases in high school health classes. McNeal said the idea for developing a district-wide human growth and development curriculum came from the community.

The superintendent said the district has been considering adding a human growth and development curriculum since February, and that it’s not in response to the Senate bill.

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

McNeal said the more than 400 responses to the survey indicate the community is looking for a comprehensive program that includes information about abstinence and contraceptives.

“With the new bill passed by the Senate, it really doesn’t change us at all. Maybe it gives us a little more flexibility that we get to choose as a community,” McNeal said.

State law requires the district give parents the option to come in and take a look at the curriculum and opt out of having their child participate.

A final listening session on the curriculum will be held on Nov. 7 at Wright Elementary School at 6 p.m. The information will be translated for Spanish speakers.