The Leflore County School Board saw the numbers showing the county has some of the highest rates in Mississippi of teen births and sexually transmitted diseases.
That was enough to convince it to unanimously approve an “abstinence plus” sex education policy Thursday.
The curriculum, once approved by the state Department of Education, will include information about birth control and STDs.
Classes will begin in seventh grade and be divided between boys and girls. Parents must give permission for their children to take the class, and the law forbids teaching that abortion can be used to prevent the birth of a baby.
All state districts must pass one of two sex education policies by June 30, according to a 2011 law.
The Greenwood school board will vote on a policy next month.
The other option besides abstinence plus is “abstinence only.”
Sanford Johnson, deputy director of the nonprofit Mississippi First, argued before the board Thursday that “abstinence plus” has proven far more effective in reducing pregnancy and STD rates among teens.
He said Leflore County earned the highest priority status from Mississippi First because it hit all five of its indicators regarding teen sex.
“What that means is that you have a high teen birth rate here, you’ve had a high teen birth rate here and you’ve had a high infection rate for chlamydia as well as gonorrhea,” he said. “So that’s why I’m here. There’s a sense of urgency here.”
Johnson said Leflore County won’t have to pay for teaching materials because Mississippi First received a federal grant. The organization will also provide training to teachers. Johnson said existing teachers will teach the sex ed classes.
He said the state law doesn’t specify what age sex education should be taught, but Johnson said Mississippi First begins at seventh grade because that’s when children begin to become sexually active.
Charles Ollie, a veteran county schools administrator, gently pointed out that the state Department of Education has yet to approve an “abstinence plus” curriculum.
Johnson then said his organization has submitted five curricula, but none have been approved through two rounds of reviews.
“The Department of Education’s being very strict in terms of how it’s interpreting the guidelines of the House bill. Condom demonstrations are prohibited, and they’re very restrictive about how you instruct about contraceptives, and they’ve decided to take what I would consider an unreasonable interpretation of that,” he said.
But Johnson said he expects approval by next week.
• Contact Charlie Smith at 581-7235 or csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
