The Omaha Public Schools board could vote in two weeks on the first changes to the district’s sex education curriculum in 30 years.The proposed changes to the human growth and development curriculum were presented to the OPS board Monday night. The proposals have been met with sharp resistance from some groups.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Dr. ReNae Kehrberg says surveys done by OPS have found overwhelming support from parents for a comprehensive sex education curriculum.
Kehrberg says proposed changes remove discussion on abortion and emergency contraception—even though there was support for those items.
"When you have 65 percent of your parents supporting something, we know that the vast majority are feeling confident about it. But, we had other ones that were at 80, 85, 90, in fact 98 percent of our parents support that we do not eliminate anything to do with sexual harassment or sexual abuse. They want that in their content."
Kehrberg says students can opt-in or out of the human growth and development lessons, so it isn’t a required class.
The curriculum also includes discussion of LGBT issues. Kehrberg says the goal is to foster respect for all groups no matter their sexual identity.
If the OPS board approves the human growth and development curriculum changes, it’ll be implemented next fall.