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Today Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) introduced legislation that promotes parental involvement and brings transparency to public schools’ sexual education curriculum.
“Schools are required to teach sexual education, but it is a sensitive subject and parents are often in the dark about what their child is learning,” said Senator Wilk. “This bill fosters collaboration and open dialogue between parents, their children, and schools to ensure the education they receive is appropriate and aligns with their values.”
SB 996 would require school districts to publish sexual education and HIV prevention materials on their website before being presented to students. Additionally, local educational authorities (LEA) must hold a publicly noticed hearing to inform parents and guardians of how they can examine those materials.
The California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) requires all pupils from grades 7-12 to receive sexual education and HIV prevention education at least once in middle school, and at least once in high school.
School districts can choose to provide sexual education earlier than seventh grade, but parents must opt-in and the materials must be age-appropriate and medically accurate. A parent must actively opt-out if they would prefer their child to not participate.
“Many parents feel like they don’t have a seat at the table. By having this information readily available online, they can easily stay informed and feel empowered to become more involved in their child’s education,” Wilk concluded.